Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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498. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to invite his Spanish counterpart to Dublin to discuss strengthening ties between the two countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4558/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Ireland and Spain enjoy excellent bilateral relations and maintain frequent contact at the highest levels, especially as partners in the European Union. The President and the Taoiseach have both made official visits to Spain in recent years while Prime Minister Rajoy visited Dublin in March of last year. Government Ministers maintain direct contacts with their Spanish counterparts. Most recently Minister Coveney visited Madrid on 29 January for discussions with his Spanish counterpart, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment Isabel García Tejerina. I meet regularly with my Spanish counterpart, José Manuel García-Margallo, at the EU Foreign Affairs Council where we can discuss bilateral issues informally, in addition to the EU agenda. At last week’s Council meeting, I conveyed the sympathy of the Irish people to Minister García-Margallo on the death of a Spanish UN peacekeeper with UNIFIL in Lebanon where an Irish contingent also serves. I would be most happy to receive Minister García-Margallo if an occasion arises on which he would wish to visit Ireland.