§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 January 1998 indicating the dates and locations, the Ministers involved and the names of the Irish Ministers and officials in each case. [87427]
§ Mr. MudieThere have been two meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 January 1998.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Michael Martin, the Irish Minister for Education and Science, at a bilateral on education issues in Dublin in October 1998. On the same day he also met Mary Harney, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to discuss employment issues. Three DfEE officials accompanied the Secretary of State.
In addition my hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards spoke at an Anglo-Irish International Conference on Information and Communication Technology in Dublin in May 1999. Tom Kit, the Irish Minister for Labour and Trade Consumer Affairs, also spoke at the conference.
Ministers have also met their counterparts at meetings on European Union business.