DRUGS and crime, unemployment, economic monetary union and the Intergovernmental Conference were on the agenda yesterday when a senior EU official met the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and other government ministers in Dublin.
Mr Jurgen Trumpf, secretary general of the Council Secretariat which services the Council of Ministers, was in Dublin at the Government's invitation to discuss Ireland's fifth presidency of the EU, which begins in July.
The Government has described Mr Trumpf's visit as a very important one because he is one of the "key people" in the EU administration which advises the presidency.
Mr Trumpf met the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste, the Ministers for Finance and Justice as well as ministers of state to discuss Ireland's priorities for the presidency. The meeting was intended to give a flavour" of what Ireland hopes to bring to its term after the Italian presidency.
The State's priorities for its six months as "EU leader" include unemployment, economic monetary union, drugs and associated criminality, development of the EU, the Intergovernmental Conference and the Union's external relations.
The secretary general also met senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Justice to discuss the "nitty gritty" of planning for the presidency.