The Government is planning to use our presidency of Europe next year to work on a transatlantic trade deal.

Dublin is to stage an informal summit on formulating an EU/US trade agreement.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny says it will be the beginning of something he hopes will form part of the economic recovery on both sides of the Atlantic: " I believe that while this will take some considerable time to bring to fruition, it holds enormous potential in the context of trade over and back the Atlantic for future years