Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the EU colleagues he has spoken to prior to the June 2018 EU Council meeting; and if they support Ireland in relation to the December 2017 agreement. [27688/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Maintaining frequent contact with EU partners has been a priority for Ireland throughout the Article 50 negotiations process. I discuss Brexit collectively with my EU27 counterparts on a monthly basis at the General Affairs Council (Article 50). This month’s meeting is taking place today.

Since the last meeting of the European Council in March, I have met with my counterparts from Sweden, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and France. I have also met with a number of UK government ministers. In Luxembourg this week, I am meeting the new Italian and Spanish Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

In addition to my own contacts, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD, has in that period met with her Greek, Estonian, Swedish, Norwegian and Portuguese counterparts. The Taoiseach has met with the Prime Ministers of Belgium and Spain, and also met with other EU leaders at the Western Balkans Summit in May. The Taoiseach and I met with both the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and the EU’s Chief Negotiator for the Article 50 negotiations, Michel Barnier, when they visited Ireland last week. I am meeting Mr Barnier again today.

Officials from my Department, and in particular from the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU in Brussels, continue to have very regular, almost daily, engagement with Mr Barnier and his team.