Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Finance if he has met with Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble and the issues that were raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48417/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Together with my colleague, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, I met with the German Federal Minister for Finance, Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, on 29 December in Dublin.

We discussed with him our plans to emerge from the EU/IMF programme next year and to make a full and sustained return to the markets. We briefed him on the outcome of the latest troika review which showed that over 160 commitments were fulfilled on time and some 80% of the funding had been drawn down. We also covered the challenges facing Ireland including how the sustainability of the Irish programme could be improved.

In addition, we set out the objectives of our Presidency of the European Union and discussed a range of other issues including with regard to the EU jobs and growth agenda, the restoration of the EU’s competitiveness, and the proposals for Banking Union.

We also discussed the need for timely implementation of the conclusions of the European Council, including the examination of Ireland’s well performing adjustment programme as reaffirmed by the Taoiseach and Chancellor Merkel on 21 October 2012.

The following revised reply was received on 20 February 2013:

Together with my colleague, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, I met with the German Federal Minister for Finance, Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, on 29 October in Dublin.

We discussed with him our plans to emerge from the EU/IMF programme next year and to make a full and sustained return to the markets. We briefed him on the outcome of the latest troika review which showed that over 160 commitments were fulfilled on time and some 80% of the funding had been drawn down. We also covered the challenges facing Ireland including how the sustainability of the Irish programme could be improved.

In addition, we set out the objectives of our Presidency of the European Union and discussed a range of other issues including the EU jobs and growth agenda, the restoration of the EU’s competitiveness, and the proposals for Banking Union.

We also discussed the need for timely implementation of the conclusions of the European Council, including the examination of Ireland’s well performing adjustment programme as reaffirmed by the Taoiseach and Chancellor Merkel on 21 October 2012.