Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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62. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the contacts he has made with African governments regarding An Taoiseach's cancelled visit to west Africa. [51724/17]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach was due to travel to West Africa between 25 November and 1 December, to visit Irish Defence Forces personnel based in Mali and to attend the African Union - European Union Summit in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from 25 November to 1 December. However, due to domestic political developments, it was necessary to cancel this visit.

Ireland was represented at the Summit by the Irish Ambassador to the African Union, accompanied by the Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire (based in Abuja), and the Africa Director of my Department.

Formal notifications indicating that the Taoiseach would not be in a position to travel were issued through relevant diplomatic channels to the authorities in Côte d'Ivoire, as hosts of the Summit, and, separately, to the authorities in Mali.