Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Defence the preparations he has undertaken for the Irish Presidency of the EU Council in January 2013; the amount of money spent on EU Council Presidency-related activities to date in 2012; the estimated expenditure up to December 2012; the budget for the six month Presidency specifically; the additional staff he has undertaken; the number of reassigned staff he has undertaken; the estimated future staff requirements for the Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8839/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The preparations for the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU Council during the first six months of 2013 have been underway since mid-2010. The Departments of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and Trade are the lead Departments in planning for the Presidency. Two Inter-Departmental Committees have been setup. The Inter-Departmental Committee for Co-ordinating the Presidency, chaired by Minister of State Creighton, is responsible for policy aspects. The Inter-Departmental Administrative Planning Group, chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, deals with administrative, logistical and resource elements. Officials from all Departments, including my own Department, and the Permanent Representation to the EU are represented on these Committees.

In relation to the issue of Defence, both formal and informal meetings of Defence Ministers are held during each EU Presidency. In consultation with the European External Action Service (EEAS), Ireland will facilitate a formal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers format and a formal Defence Policy Directors meeting. Both of these formal meetings will be held in Brussels.

It is also my intention to host, in Ireland, a number of informal meetings and seminars, including a Defence Ministers informal. Usually, the subjects of discussion at the informal meetings range from current military operations, cooperation between the EU and other International Organisations, the development of EU military capabilities and ongoing developments in the European Defence Agency.

The agendas for Ireland's Presidency defence related meetings will be considered in consultation with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the EEAS and our Trio partners (Lithuania and Greece). Both my officials and I will be in regular contact with the High Representative, the EEAS and our Trio Partners in the lead up to Ireland's Presidency in order to prepare the Defence agenda.

No money has been spent to date in 2012 specifically on EU Council Presidency activity. Although ongoing discussions are taking place within my Department, it is not envisaged that there will be substantial additional spending in 2012 on EU Council Presidency activity. It is instead envisaged that any additional staffing resources in 2012 will be met from within my Department's existing resources through redeployment from other areas.

The Government has recently agreed that expenditure on EU Council Presidency activity across all Departments will cost €60m, of which €10.6m relates to staffing costs. No final budget has been agreed between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for 2013 overall or for the six months Presidency specifically. Preliminary discussions are underway internally within my Department regarding the number of additional or re-assigned staff that will be necessary to run the Presidency in 2013. No decisions have been taken to date and it is anticipated that it will be some time yet before my Department will commence negotiations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding an allocation in the 2013 Estimates in respect of the additional costs of running the Presidency.