5. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will outline the preparations currently under way in her Department to meet the demands of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66109/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

Ar dtús báire, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire ar a ceapachán mar Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála. Go n-éirí léi ina post nua. My question concerns the significant opportunity Ireland will have this year to help to shape the clár, or agenda, of the European Council. Will the Minister outline the preparations currently under way in her Department?

Sentiment score: 0.19

It is clear that there is a lot of work already under way on planning. I welcome that. There will be over 250 meetings in Ireland over a short period of time. It is going to be intense, as we saw before, in 2013. It is an opportunity for the country as we take a leadership role in steering the EU agenda for that period of time and dealing with some of the challenges that confront us collectively across the EU bloc. The Minister mentioned stakeholders. At the climate committee yesterday, the question was raised as to how members of the committee could in some way help shape the agenda of those six months from a climate, energy and environmental perspective. The current US Administration has unfortunately turned its face against renewable energy but, in the long term, the European Union could take a leadership position in an area like that. How could an Oireachtas committee or other groups feed into that agenda?

Sentiment score: 0.26

We would appreciate that opportunity from the committee's perspective. I will pass that onto the committee. To come back to the matter of the United States, the US is a long-term ally of Europe and Ireland. Irrespective of what Administration is in place in the United States and the coming and goings of individual Administrations, that relationship is important for Ireland and Europe in the long term. When it comes to formulation, engagement and leadership in the coming period, I ask that Ireland try to take a leadership role in making sure that relationship with the US are maintained and strengthened, so that we continue it long term into the future and the partnership between the US and Europe flourishes once again. The current Administration has changed certain priorities. That is fair enough; it is democratically elected. However, in the long-term that relationship needs to endure. What are the Minister's views on that?

Sentiment score: 0.34