Written answers
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Department of Social Protection
Brexit Issues
Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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168. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the bilateral meetings he had with his European counterparts outside of Council of the European Union meetings, since the UK referendum to leave the EU took place, in which the issue of Brexit and the unique challenges faced by the island of Ireland was discussed, including the name of each European government ministerial counterpart, the meeting location and the date of each meeting, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2524/17]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The details, to date, are as follows:
| Date | Meeting with | Meeting | Areas covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2016 | Mr Dragos Nicolae Pislaru - Minister for Labour, Family Social Protection and the Elderly, Romania | Informal Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council [EPSCO], Bratislava, Slovakia | Social Security, Posted Workers |
| 8 December 2016 | Mr Damian Hinds, Minister for Employment, UK Department of Work and Pensions | Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council [EPSCO], Brussels, Belgium | Social Security reform, social security benefits for Irish & UK citizens residing in each country. |
The Taoiseach, I and other Ministers will continue to meet and engage with our EU counterparts over coming weeks to emphasise Ireland’s concerns and to ensure that they are fully reflected in the EU position once negotiations commence. This activity is reinforced by extensive engagement at diplomatic and official level. The Government is acutely aware of the potential risks and challenges for the Irish economy and will remain fully engaged on this aspect as the negotiations proceed. An important part of our preparations for the Brexit negotiations is ensuring that our particular concerns are heard and understood across Europe, and engagement with our EU partners and with the EU institutions is therefore critical.
Of course, Ireland will be part of the EU 27 team and looks forward to working with our fellow Member States in delivering the best possible result for Ireland and for the EU.
I will be meeting with my UK counterpart Mr Damian Green M.P., Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in early February.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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