Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious of the clock. While I do not have any further questions for the witnesses, it is important that I record my disbelief and frustration at the lack of North-South collaboration caused by the suspension of the Assembly. I will not get party political about this by asking who is responsible or why it has happened but, based on the explanation given by Mr. Ferguson, it is important members of the committee, both individually and collectively, contact the relevant Ministers and urge them to make contact, at their earliest convenience, with the relevant Ministers in Westminster and officials in Whitehall. We need to sidestep, as Mr. Ferguson explained, the reason for the problem preventing collaboration. He cited the need for the British Government, through collaboration with the Government here, to provide this funding as a line item in the Northern Ireland budget, which would then be decided on by civil servants as opposed to requiring a decision of a sitting Assembly. We are not going down the road of asking why or being party political.