Enda Kenny
Question:6 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he has met the new Ulster Unionist Party Leader Mr. Tom Elliott; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41192/10]
View answerTuesday, 23 November 2010
Questions (6, 7, 8, 9)
Enda Kenny
Question:7 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach when he next expects to meet with the First Minister of Northern Ireland Mr. Peter Robinson; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41193/10]
View answer
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:8 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach his views on extending the remit of the North-South Ministerial Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41387/10]
View answer
Eamon Gilmore
Question:9 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his most recent contacts with the political parties in Northern Ireland [42569/10]
View answerOral answers (7 contributions)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together.
The Hillsborough Agreement provided the basis for a significant step in the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement by allowing the completion of the devolution of policing and justice powers. The appointment of Mr. David Ford, MLA, a locally accountable justice Minister, was a further important landmark in consolidating the peace process.
While justice is not a formally agreed area for North-South co-operation under the Good Friday Agreement, I am glad to say that the current excellent level of cross-Border co-operation in policing and justice matters is unprecedented. Intergovernmental agreements on policing co-operation and on co-operation on criminal justice matters provide the framework for North-South co-operation in this area. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Criminal Justice Co-operation provides for regular meetings between the justice Ministers, North and South, who receive reports from a working group made up of representatives from both jurisdictions, including senior Garda and PSNI officers and the heads of various criminal justice agencies.
The Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, has met with the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice, Mr. David Ford, MLA, a number of times since the devolution of policing and justice and the two Ministers met again on 12 November to formally review ongoing co-operation. The Government is also in ongoing contact with the British authorities in our joint efforts to combat the threat from so-called dissident groups. The ongoing co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI will remain critical in tackling this threat.
There are areas of agreed North-South co-operation under the Good Friday Agreement. These include agriculture; education; transport; environment; waterways; social security-social welfare; tourism and relevant EU programmes; inland fisheries; aquaculture and marine matters; health; and urban and rural development. There are regular meetings of Ministers, North and South, to review and progress areas of North-South co-operation in each of these sectors.
The review group appointed under the St. Andrews Agreement was asked, as part of its terms of reference, to examine the case for additional bodies and areas of co-operation within the North-South Ministerial Council where mutual benefit would be derived. At the last North-South Ministerial Council plenary meeting in Dublin in July, the Council agreed that recommendations in a report prepared for the review group by an advisory panel of experts and advisers would be forwarded for views to Ministers who have responsibility for the North-South bodies. They noted consultation that is under way within Executive Departments on the second and third terms of reference of the St. Andrews Agreement review and anticipated that the review group would move rapidly to conclude its work when this is complete. Ministers agreed to consider the outcome of consultation that is under way in both jurisdictions at a future North-South Ministerial Council meeting.
I would hope to see the St. Andrews review process brought to a conclusion in the near future. I believe we need to move on to a more expansive agenda. There is much potential for mutual benefit that can be realised within the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. We continue to make that point to our partners and we hope that, internally, the Executive can come forward with a review process that can be completed and allow us proceed.
It should also be noted that at the twice yearly plenary meetings of the North-South Ministerial Council, as well as considering issues across the agreed areas of co-operation, it is now regular practice to discuss the economic situation and to consider where co-operation could be to the mutual benefit of both jurisdictions. I am firmly of the view that it makes sense for us to work together to achieve economies and efficiencies to mutual benefit, especially in the face of the economic challenges faced throughout the island. As I have outlined, there is also ongoing co-operation in the justice area. I look forward to continuing to work with my Northern colleagues to progress and develop North-South co-operation to the greatest extent possible.
I am glad to note that the first ever North-South Parliamentary Forum conference took place in Newcastle, County Down, over two days on 7 and 8 October. That conference was attended by representatives from all parties in the Oireachtas and Stormont and was co-chaired by the Speaker, Mr William Hay, and the Ceann Comhairle. I understand that the conference followed a detailed work programme covering issues such as building parliamentary links with Europe and agriculture and rural development issues. The Tánaiste and the British Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Nick Clegg, were guest speakers at the conference dinner.
There will be a further North-South Consultative Conference on 8 December involving civil society from both North and South.
I have not yet had an opportunity to meet with the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr. Tom Elliott, MLA, but I sent him my congratulations on his election as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. I look forward to working with him and his colleagues for the mutual benefit of all those whom we represent, especially at this time of economic difficulty.
I expect to meet with the North's First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, at the meeting of the British-Irish Council which will take place in the Isle of Man on 13 December. I also expect to meet them at the next plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council which will take place in the coming weeks. I sent my congratulations to First Minister Robinson and Deputy First Minister McGuinness on being awarded the Glencree Peace Award on 11 November in Dublin. I was represented at the awards ceremony by the Minister of State, Deputy Dick Roche.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply.
I hope to end supplementaries shortly.
I met Tom Elliott, MLA, the new leader of the UUP recently when he attended a cross-Border tourism conference arranged by my party in Donegal. At that meeting, he highlighted the role of the six official North-South bodies, namely, Waterways Ireland, the Food Safety Promotion Board, InterTradeIreland, the Special European Union Programmes Body, the language body comprising Foras na Gaeilge and Tha Boord o Ulster-Scotch, and the Foyle, Carlingford and Commissioners of Irish Lights.
At its plenary session on 17 July, the North-South Ministerial Council agreed to take forward the review of the North-South implementation bodies and areas for co-operation as provided for in the St. Andrews Agreement. Does the Taoiseach have any indication on when this report is expected? Is there a cost for the 30 month review process that has taken place? Is it the Taoiseach's opinion that the six bodies established at the beginning have fulfilled their remit? Is there a need for them to continue in their original form? Does he have any information from the review process as to where the future lies for them?
As I stated, we are very anxious to move forward on all of these issues and the Government stands ready to do so. The Executive in Northern Ireland is under the second and third requirements in the St. Andrews review. It has to come forward with the internal outcome of that review process. The prospect of getting some decisions at the North-South review is dependent on getting some agreement in the Executive as to what proposals it will make.
I honestly believe this is a matter that should be progressed. As I stated, we require the agreement of all concerned. I believe the record of co-operation in areas where we have been able to proceed with co-operation has been to everyone's benefit. There is a greater degree of potential in all of these arrangements and I believe that the level of trust and co-operation can and should be such as to regard expanding these areas of co-operation as being a matter of practical benefit and mutual benefit to all. I hope these matters can be progressed as quickly as possible and we stand ready to do so.
We attach importance to the provisions of the agreement, which foresaw an organic build-up of structures which will serve the people, North and South. The issue with regard to the Commissioners of Irish Lights has not been resolved in terms of having an alternative implementation body in another area but what we have should not be regarded as either the beginning or the end of the matter.
Is the Taoiseach aware that on 14 September in the Assembly, the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Michael McGimpsey, advised the Stormont Assembly that he had agreed with the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, not to publish or bring forward the feasibility report on North-South co-operation on the issue of health? This issue has been raised at a number of committees here, including the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and is a cause of serious concern. Is the Taoiseach aware that the feasibility report that has been withheld contains recommendations for ever-deepening and further co-operation in health care delivery North-South that would make a critical difference for citizens on the island of Ireland in terms of accessing procedures that are not currently on offer on the island? Citizens North and South must leave this island to access particular procedures, whereas if the mass of the population on the island was taken into account, it would allow for those procedures and the particular expertise to locate on the island of Ireland, at whatever location.
There is also an issue with regard to particular areas, such as transplants, which are of a specialist nature. Currently, people are obliged to leave this island for treatment. The report contains many important and welcome recommendations. Would the Taoiseach not accept that co-operation in health delivery systems is hugely important and would benefit all on the island of Ireland? Will he join me in asking for the publication of this report and for its reintroduction as a document for live consideration North and South?
A direct request to the Minister for Health would provide the exact circumstances of the current status of the report. That said, the publication of the report requires the agreement of both sides. We would like to see any assessments that are being made about how we can co-operate further, and pending any decisions that will be made to co-operate, we would like to see all of these avenues explored. Where work is done, we would like to see it brought into the public domain as quickly as possible.