Health Committee to discuss cross-border co-operation on health with Northern Ireland counterparts

A full cross-party delegation with representatives from the DUP, UUP, Alliance, Sinn Féin, & SDLP will attend the meeting of the Committee on Health and Children at 11.30am tomorrow.

Among those attending the meeting from the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee on Health, Social Services and Public Service are:  Sue Ramsey (Acting Chairperson, Sinn Féin), Jim Wells (Vice-Chair, DUP), Mickey Brady, John McCallister, Sam Gardiner, Mark Durkan, Kieran McCarthy.

The two Committees will discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including:

• Emergency planning/services.
• Cross border ambulance service co-operation
• The All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care,
• Health promotion,
• Cross border paediatric congenital cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology in Northern Ireland,
• Suicide prevention,
• A feasibility study into the provision of cross-border out-of-hours primary care services,
• Food safety promotion.

Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “We are delighted that a full cross-party delegation from our counterpart committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly has agreed to attend tomorrow’s meeting. We are looking forward to an open, frank and comprehensive discussion on a wide range of health issues that affect constituents on both sides of the border. Cross-border co-operation on health issues has the potential to benefit people across the island and tomorrow's meeting presents an opportunity to establish an on-going dialogue between both committees on important health matters.”

The meeting takes place tomorrow, Thursday, 1st March, 11.30am in Committee Room 2, LH 2000. Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://bit.ly/24YmPI

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

ENDS