Mr. Gerry Wrynn:

We work closely with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on two fronts. First, we work with them on the management of InterTrade Ireland. We co-fund that body and we agree its programmes and wider strategies. There is constant engagement on that front. We have regular meetings in Belfast or Dublin with our counterpart officials. Second, we both fund the enterprise strand of INTERREG. There is a similar level of co-operation in that regard. Representatives of both Departments sit on various committees that are run by the EU managing authority. Representatives of other Departments in the North and the South sit on that group as well. At a more senior level, the Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation meets his counterpart - the permanent secretary of the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment - a couple of times a year to discuss issues of mutual interest and to share experiences. At a political level, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, meets his counterpart - the new Northern Ireland Minister in this area is Jonathan Bell - as part of the trade and business strand of the North-South Ministerial Council. Their next meeting will take place in Armagh next week. Overall, there is a pretty comprehensive level of engagement.