Ms Émer Deane:

The two Ministers with responsibility for health are working very closely together to try to identify specific specialist services that can be carried out better by doing them on an all-island basis.

Members know there are two areas, cancer and paediatrics, where there is already good work being done. It is a question of how to build those out so we get more into specialist areas and rare diseases, and all the other things that could be done better together. We are obviously mindful, with the children's hospital coming online in this jurisdiction and a new children's hospital being built in Belfast, that strategic planning is really important. It is under way and I think the health Ministers will meet again in November.