Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which a diplomatic initiative has been extended throughout the EU in order to familiarise our EU colleagues with our position in the context of the ongoing economic situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14081/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Government came into office with an explicit commitment to restore Ireland's standing as a respected and influential member of the European Union. There are three main components of our early efforts to establish lines of communication with partners and to re-engage constructively with the European agenda: members of the Government are availing of opportunities to meet their EU colleagues and with representatives of the European institutions; our Embassy network has been actively engaging with partners in EU capitals; and we are keeping EU diplomatic representatives in Dublin fully briefed on our policies and actions through regular contacts.

Since taking office, I have met my European colleagues on a number of occasions at EU and other Ministerial meetings. In addition, I travelled to London to meet Deputy Prime Minister Clegg and Secretary of State Hague. During the Queen's visit I had the opportunity of further meetings with Secretary of State Hague. Meanwhile Minister of State Creighton has had discussions with her British counterpart David Lidington, the Minister for Europe, in London and in Brussels. The Taoiseach has travelled to London to meet Prime Minister Cameron and met with him again in Dublin, at a meeting which I also attended, on the occasion of the recent State Visit.

I travelled to Paris in May where, in addition to attending the OECD Ministerial Council, I had a separate bilateral meeting with my French counterpart Minister for Foreign Affairs Alain Juppé. I have also had bilateral meetings with my Finnish and Luxembourg colleagues in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council. Minister of State Creighton has availed of visits to Brussels and Luxembourg to meet representatives of the institutions (Pierre de Boissieu, Secretary General of the Council; Catherine Day, Secretary General of the Commission; Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn; Commissioner Šefcovic, Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament; Joseph Daul, leader of the EPP Group; Klaus Welle, Secretary General of the European Parliament) as well as her Polish, Bulgarian, Slovak and Greek counterparts. She also travelled to Paris and Berlin from 10-13 May for bilateral consultations with her French and German counterparts.

The Irish Embassy network has the responsibility for transmitting the Government's economic message, and the context for it, to key decision-makers in the EU and beyond; at the same time our missions keep us informed of on the views and policies of partners. To ensure that our diplomatic representatives are fully briefed on the Government's approach to delivering national recovery and can play their part in this task, I have called a conference of all Irish Ambassadors which is taking place this week, on 1 and 2 June in Dublin. In line with the commitment we gave on taking office, this conference places special emphasises on economic issues and the need to promote Ireland as country to business in. The conference was organised in conjunction with the main State Agencies in the economic and trade promotion sector and has involved key representatives of the Irish export sector.

As regards activity here in Dublin, I invited EU Heads of Mission in Dublin to attend a briefing on the Government's approach in Iveagh House on 19 April. All 24 resident embassies were represented, as well as the heads of the European Commission and European Parliament offices here. I set out the Government's analysis of Ireland's economic situation and used the occasion to underline the wish of the Government to engage constructively and more widely on the range of issues on the European agenda. Our efforts to engage with our European partners will intensify in the coming months.