Irish set out EU priorities

Ireland, which takes over the EU helm January next year, will "attempt to be an effective and impartial arbiter", acting in the interest of the European Union as a whole, Irish President Mary McAleese has told MEPs.

In a speech, partly given in Irish, Ms McAleese said that Ireland’s Presidency will be taking place at a time of deep global insecurity, where war, terrorism and organised crime "are vying for places on the international agenda" alongside trade and global relations.

T...