Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the Minister or Minister of State that represented Ireland at the Ministerial Council meetings of the European Union during the Irish Presidency of the Council to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26219/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) is the relevant Council formation dealing with issues relating to social protection. The work of EPSCO also covers issues relevant to other Departments including Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Education and Skills and, to a lesser extent, Environment, Community and Local Government. To date, during the Presidency, EPSCO has met on two occasions; informally on 7/8 February in Dublin and formally on the 28 February in Brussels. Both meetings were attended by myself as Minister for Social Protection. I shared the Chairing of both meetings with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation. The Minister for State in the Department of Justice and Equality also participated at the informal Council meeting.