As members will be aware, Deputy Carey is stepping down as vice-chairman of the joint committee. I am pleased he will remain a member of the committee. We now have a vacancy for vice-chairman and Standing Order 88(2) provides that every committee shall elect one of its members to be vice-chairman. I now call for nominations for vice-chairman.

I propose Deputy Mulcahy.

I second that.

Are there any other nominations? As there are no other nominations I declare Deputy Mulcahy elected as vice-chairman. I look forward to working with Deputy Mulcahy and welcome him to the committee.

I congratulate Deputy Mulcahy and wish him well. I also want to pay tribute to the interest Deputy Carey took as vice-chairman of the committee and I am delighted he will continue to be a member of the committee.

I wish to be associated with those remarks.

I congratulate Deputy Carey on his high prestige appointment as joint chair of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body.

I endorse that. I think he has recovered from his trip to Uganda and elsewhere. In private session I would like to discuss the end-of-year dinner since we missed out on it last year.

The bi-annual event.

We have very few dates left in our diaries.

As the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs I suggest Paris as the location for the dinner.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 November 2004 were circulated with the agenda for this meeting. Are they in order? Agreed. Are there any matters arising from the minutes?