Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to meet Mr Mario Draghi; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27700/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Finance the recent contacts he has had with ECB Chief Mario Draghi. [28970/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 77 together.

Following his appointment as President of the European Central Bank Executive Board on 1st November, 2011, I arranged to meet Mr. Draghi in Frankfurt on 24 January last. This was an initial meeting to congratulate him on his recent appointment and also to brief him on Irish economic, fiscal and banking developments.

Since then I have attended the monthly meetings of the Eurogroup and also the ECOFIN Council, which are also attended by the President of the ECB. I regularly use these opportunities to engage in bilateral discussions with Mr. Draghi on Ireland's sovereign debt issues and to brief him on Ireland, including the situation in our banks. I also use such opportunities to press the case for the ECB to take a long-term view of the impact of the sovereign debt burden on the Irish economy. Mr. Draghi has always been accommodating in facilitating such bilateral meetings and I expect to continue to arrange regular one-on-one meetings with him around the monthly Eurogroup and ECOFIN Council meetings.