Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 September 2013
44. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposal for the next North-South Ministerial Council; the issues to be discussed at that meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38974/13]
View answerThe North South Ministerial Council meets in three formats: Plenary, Institutional and Sectoral. The next Plenary meeting is scheduled to take place in November 2013 and to be chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. While the Northern Ireland administration will therefore propose the agenda on this occasion, it is likely that discussions will touch on financial, economic and EU matters and that Ministers from North and South will together take the opportunity to review the work undertaken in the areas of North South cooperation, including by the North-South implementation bodies, since the preceding plenary meeting on 5 July 2013. I would also expect youth unemployment, the action being taken in both jurisdictions to tackle this issue and the opportunities for collaboration to address this important matter and other matters of topical concern to be discussed. I hope that we will also discuss progress made on the St Andrews Agreement Review on expanding the areas of North South cooperation, the North West Gateway Initiative and the current position on the North South Consultative Forum.
Meetings of the North South Ministerial Council in Plenary format have become an excellent forum for substantive exchanges on topics of mutual interest. I am therefore looking forward to the Plenary in November and to continuing to work with our Northern colleagues in further developing North South cooperation.
