The first minister said he very much hoped Scotland would remain an "integral part of the United Kingdom," on 17 January 2012. In his statement on the recent meeting of the British Irish Council (BIC), Peter Robinson said the subject of Scotland's independence had gained media attention due to the presence of Scotland First Minister, Alex Salmond, even though it was not discussed. Delegates at the meeting included the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson. With the inclusion of members outside the UK, Mr Robinson said that Scotland could remain part of the council even if it gained independence. "Even if Scotland was to take the decision, which all, I'm sure, in this house would unanimously agree that we would not want them to take, it would not stop them being a member of the BIC," he said. Mr Robinson also said it was ironic, "that the moment when there seems a real possibility of some form of break-up of the United Kingdom that Northern Ireland was not the cause of it." The first minister said the council meeting had focused on youth unemployment and had agreed that a more detailed analysis would be carried out on the impact of initiatives specific to this matter. He said the council also noted that a "more ambitious approach was needed" in drug addiction recovery.