Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the budget, the costs spent to date and the benefits of Ireland holding the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14793/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am the Chairperson-in-Office for the duration of our Chairmanship and bear overall responsibility for the executive action of the organisation. Ireland was one of the founding States of the OSCE and we have always recognised the Organisation's vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe. I am honoured to chair the OSCE this year and greatly look forward to using this role to raise the profile of Ireland, thereby contributing to the restoration of our international reputation.

The budget for our OSCE Chairmanship this year is €7 million, about half of which will be required to host the OSCE Ministerial Council in Dublin this December. This Ministerial meeting is likely to be worth c. €2m to the Irish economy, based on figures from Bord Fáilte on the likely spend per delegate. The total amount spent to date in 2012 is €150,842. In 2011, a total of €729,279 was spent on preparations for the Chairmanship year.

As Chair, we will work consistently to ensure that the OSCE operates at the highest level of efficiency and to keep costs at a minimum. The Secretary General of the OSCE is also very aware of current economic restraints. He is actively examining how the OSCE operates and exploring various reform proposals so as to strengthen its institutional core and capacities.

Ireland will reap several benefits from the Chairmanship of the OSCE, including a significantly raised EU and international profile. It will enhance the reputation we already have for skilled diplomacy and crisis management and expand our conflict resolution and human rights expertise; both important features of Ireland's foreign policy. It will provide us with an opportunity to have close and sustained engagement with major international players, such as the United States, Russia, France and Germany, and with countries with which we would have fewer opportunities for engagement, such as the countries of Central Asia. These links will also allow us to assess and develop trade links across the OSCE area.