Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Finance 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. [56547/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) usually meets monthly, although it can meet more frequently, if required. Formal Ecofin meetings are held in Brussels or Luxembourg; Informal Ecofin meetings are convened in the country holding the six-monthly Presidency (usually April and October). Separately to the Ecofin meetings, Eurogroup meetings usually take place on the evening beforehand. In addition to the usual Eurogroup meetings in 2011 and 2012 that took place in advance of the Ecofin meetings, nine extra Eurogroup meetings were convened (three in 2011 and six in 2012), eight of which I attended, with Minister of State Brian Hayes TD attending the other one.

Since my appointment as Minister for Finance in March 2011, twenty four meetings of Ecofin have taken place and I attended twenty two of these meetings. Mr Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State at the Department of Finance attended two meetings of Ecofin on 14 June 2011 and 21 February 2012. The following table sets out the dates of all Ecofin Council meetings convened from March 2011 to date, and details of who attended each of these meetings.