Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Finance the specific reform measures Ireland is pushing for at EU Council level; and if the drop in the value of the euro and the actions being taken to address these issues were discussed when he attended at the recent EU Council meeting. [28654/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I attended the informal Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting on 9 and 10 September in Bratislava, Slovakia. At this meeting, a discussion took place on the future of economic policies in the EU. This was a high level discussion with presentations from a number of guest speakers such as Mr Mario Monti and Mr Andres Borg.

At this meeting I outlined that Ireland's consistent position on the economic governance reforms is that the focus should be on full and effective implementation of the reforms already enacted which are still bedding down rather than trying to develop and put in place new structures and institutions.  As I see it, the economic governance framework of the Economic and Monetary Union has been subject to major changes in recent years.  The effects of these changes still has to be fully worked through and understood.  Given the importance of the financial sector, it is fundamental that the remaining components of the Banking Union is completed.

The value of the Euro was not discussed at the Informal Ecofin meeting on 9-10 September; nor was it discussed at the Eurogroup meeting on 9 September.