Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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454. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he raised the Boston College Belfast Oral History archive issue with US Attorney General Eric Holder during their meetings last week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30247/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I met with the US Attorney General, Eric Holder, in Dublin on 13 and 14 June in the context of the EU–US JHA ministerial meeting. The issue of the Boston College oral history project did not arise in our discussions.

The topics we discussed over the course of our meetings included security and surveillance issues, enhancing Irish-US cooperation in combating serious crime and Ireland’s EU Presidency.

I also took the opportunity to brief Attorney General Holder on Ireland’s EU Presidency in the justice and home affairs area. Many of the Irish Presidency’s priorities in the JHA area reflected the key issues facing Ireland, Europe and the United States, including economic recovery, growth and job creation. I updated Mr. Holder on the EU’s data protection proposals, on which substantial progress has been made under my Chairmanship of the Council of JHA ministers. Our meetings served to underline the shared concerns of Ireland, the EU and the US in tackling issues of international crime, particularly serious and organised crime, and we agreed to continue to further enhance our co-operation in this regard.