My Department has no current request for a meeting with the Minister for Health in Northern Ireland. The Deputy will be aware that I met with Minister O'Neill, at the NSMC Plenary meeting on July 4th. On the same day we jointly committed to a €57 million investment in the all-island Congenital Heart Disease Service at Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin Dublin.
The twenty first North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Health and Food Safety meeting will take place in Armagh on 9 November. I expect that, as envisaged at the discussion at the NSMC Plenary on the UK referendum result, Minister O'Neill and I will continue our consideration of the potential implications of the leave vote for North/South co-operation on the areas for which we have responsibility. The meeting will also continue to discuss the many important issues which are the focus of the NSMC Health Sectoral Work Programme. I would reiterate what I said to the Deputy in a reply to a previous parliamentary question on July 5th that people can be assured that there will be no immediate changes in the area of health as a consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Cross-border services and health cooperation with Northern Ireland will not be affected in the immediate term by the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
At a departmental level co-operation between the two jurisdictions is active and ongoing. My officials and I are committed to continuing to work together with our Northern colleagues on issues of common concern and benefit.