Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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259. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has spoken to his other EU colleagues regarding the EU cohesion funds recently. [24566/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am engaged in regular and ongoing dialogue with my EU ministerial counterparts both at EU meetings and on a bilateral basis.

Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan represented Ireland at both of the recent General Affairs Council (Cohesion) meetings, in November of 2017 and April 2018. On both occasions he also took the opportunity to arrange bilateral Ministerial meetings.

In November 2017 I published an Irish position paper on Cohesion Funding post 2020. This was circulated to all other EU Member States. We have actively engaged in dialogue at various levels with other Member States on this document and on the position of other Member States.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission published their Cohesion Policy Legislative package for the 2021–2027 programming period on Tuesday, 29 May. This followed on from the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) published on 2 May 2018. Both proposals are very detailed and will require careful examination by a number of Government Departments. It is very early in the process, but Ireland will continue to engage constructively with our European partners on these proposals at all levels, including both at senior official and at political level, as appropriate.