Ms Liz McManus:

Deputy Crowe has made a very interesting point. If Northern Ireland had a national action plan it might have had a different result. I have no idea because we have not reached this point. We cannot direct anybody to produce a national action plan but we can encourage. Nowhere needs an action plan more than Northern Ireland because of its experience. There is a great body of experience and knowledge which could be put to good use if we could do so, and I ask Deputy Crowe to encourage in Northern Ireland a positive attitude towards ensuring a national action plan is developed there. It could be a purely Northern Ireland project or a project within the UK. Somebody needs to drive it in the Assembly and it would be very helpful if it is led from the top. We will be able to report next time we come before the committee, if we have such an opportunity, on what progress we have made. Having a national action plan is a politically driven project. It is our brief to monitor its implementation when it is delivered.