Mr. Chris Hazzard:

As I stated, at an official level, there is a great relationship between my Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. We work jointly on a number of programmes and development schemes for the future. When I was appointed in the summer I was keen to start building links with the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport, Deputy Ross, and his Department. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to meet, although a meeting has been scheduled for later this month. We have plenty to discuss and I hope we will be able to sit down together. We have a North-South transport sectoral meeting on the day in question, which presents an opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting and discuss some of the issues that have been raised today. We will also discuss the delivery of some of the Fresh Start projects, for example, the A5 road project and the Ulster Canal and Narrow Water bridge projects. There is plenty of work for us to do in the next few years and I am keen to get on with it.