Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018
1238. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will report on the allocation in 2019 to North-South bodies in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45893/18]
View answerThe North/South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland operate on an all-island basis and are funded jointly by the administrations, north and south, on the basis of an agreed contribution ratio, which varies from body to body. Decisions concerning the bodies are taken jointly by the relevant Ministers in the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC).
At present, in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, it is not possible for the NSMC to meet and to bring the Government and Executive together to oversee ongoing North/South work and further develop cooperation, as provided for under the Good Friday Agreement. Notwithstanding the current political situation, the North/South Implementation Bodies continue to carry out their important public functions in line with their mandates and to deliver economic and social benefits for people across the island.
Two North/South Implementation Bodies come under my responsibility, Waterways Ireland and An Foras Teanga. The Budget 2019 allocations for these bodies is available on my Department’s website at
https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2018/10/budget-2019-allocations.pdf.
