Dr. Ciara Fitzpatrick:

There has to be a host of actors involved in this discussion but ultimately it has be driven forward by those who are going to be in the government of a new Ireland. There is already a connection between the Department of Social Protection and the Department for Communities in the form of long-running summer school. There are already opportunities for conversations and that is something that Dr. Boland and I are really keen to facilitate in any way that we can. Again, we pass on our great appreciation to this committee for giving this important subject the time and space it needs. Of course, we have a lot of amazing civic society actors in this space as well. In the past I was a volunteer for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Northern Ireland, in north Belfast so I have seen directly the important work that organisation does in terms of anti-poverty campaigning but also in providing emergency support to people.

The Deputy has asked a great question and all I would say is that it is a multilayered conversation. We are really glad that it has started in an official capacity in the Oireachtas and we are really looking forward to sustaining it as we continue to prepare for eventual reunification.