Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the steering committee is broad and extends North and South; therefore, Northern Ireland is represented. The committee is the mechanism by which the information is being gathered. The Northern Irish representatives will have the same access to information as their Southern counterparts during the process. North-South political mechanisms allow Ministers from both jurisdictions opportunities to examine genuine and single-tier North-South issues affecting Border areas.

There is an opportunity for the North-South Ministerial Council to be kept informed throughout this process. It will also be an opportunity for politicians, both North and South, to actively engage during the process. Closer to home, as a former chairman, I think there are possibilities available through the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. I have spoken to my colleague, Deputy Frank Feighan, about this. We have representation North and South, albeit reduced to one or two political parties. We do not have global political representation from the North. However, there is a conduit and a mechanism for North-South input. With an issue as important as fracking, we should use all the political mechanisms we have available to us. If Deputy Colreavy was to formally put it to his party colleagues to get in touch with Deputy Feighan, I have no doubt Deputy Feighan would be eager to help and assist in the matter.