Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the formations of the EU Councils of Ministers on which he sits; the number of meetings of that Council held from 9 March 2011 to date in 2012; the number of those meetings he attended; the number attended by a Minister of State; the number attended by an Irish official; and if he will provide the names of those who attended in tabular form. [56555/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I  participate at the Transport formation of the Transport, Telecoms and Energy Council. Since March 2011, there have been 7 formal Transport Council meetings and I have attended all of these. Transport Council meets on 20 December and I will attend this along with officials from my Department and the Irish Permanent Representation to the EU.

Minister of State Michael Ring T.D. has delegated responsibility in relation to EU matters relating to Sport and he has attended three of the four formal Council meetings of Sports Ministers scheduled since March 2011. He was unable to attend the Council meeting in May 2011 owing to diary commitments associated with the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The Deputy Permanent Representative attended the meeting in his place.

The Competitiveness Council deals with tourism-related issues from time to time. My colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, T.D., represents Ireland at the Competitiveness Council. 

The information requested is set out in tabular form as follows: