Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions and meetings he has had with other EU leaders in preparation for Ireland's Presidency of the EU in 2013. [49711/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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As we approach January 2013 and Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, there has been discussion at all of my recent meetings with partners on our Presidency agenda. At all meetings I have emphasised that the main focus of the Irish Presidency will be on measures to create jobs and growth in Europe. I have also taken the opportunity to discuss the busy foreign policy agenda that Ireland, working closely with the European External Action Service (EEAS), will face during its Presidency in 2013. I have also discussed our emerging objectives in the General Affairs Council which I will chair during our Presidency.

At the beginning of October, the Taoiseach and I led the Government in a meeting with the College of European Commissioners in Brussels to discuss the emerging themes and priorities for the Presidency. We were pleased with the outcome of the meeting which confirmed that there is broad agreement between the Government and the European Commission on the principal priorities and objectives that Irish Ministers have identified for the Presidency at this stage of planning. I have also held discussions with Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, on plans for Ireland’s Presidency and in particular the Foreign Affairs Council agenda.

That same week I met Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, during his visit to Ireland. We had a useful and constructive discussion and I stressed the high importance that the Irish Government attaches to maintaining strong working relations with the European Parliament. Last month, I also met the French, Norwegian and German Foreign Ministers, the Danish European Affairs Minister and addressed a meeting of the Secretaries General of EU Foreign Ministries that was held in Dublin in advance of the Presidency. On the margins of the Tripartite Social Summit I met Vice President Šefčovič and Commissioner Lewandowski. These meetings also focussed, to a large extent, on issues that will be to the fore during our Presidency. Last Friday I met the British Deputy Prime Minister where we had useful bilateral discussions on a number of issues including European issues and our forthcoming Presidency.