Ms Michelle Gildernew:

I will speak first to be followed by Deputy Conway-Walsh. The witnesses are very welcome. Mr. Guckian and I worked together in the Western Health and Social Care Trust and so I have a wee grá for him, but I ask him not to take that personally.

I am a big fan of CAWT. As the MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, I have engaged with the partnership since its establishment. One of the most insightful meetings I ever attended was when CAWT made a presentation to the then Ministers for Health at a North-South Ministerial Council meeting. I believe I told Mr Guckian what was said at that meeting; I will not repeat it now. I had the privilege of being the accompanying Minister along with Mr. McGimpsey when Tom Daly gave a presentation to us many years ago.

CAWT has been transformative because it has allowed us to provide essential services to rural people generally and those living in Border communities much more locally. If I get a question about a service relating to a gum clinic or whatever, CAWT is the go-to body to find out where that service is being offered and how my constituents can access it. The work it has done, straddling the Border working with the Departments of Health, North and South, is likely to be pivotal if we are developing an all-Ireland national health service, for example, which I hope will happen in the future.

Understandably, CAWT has placed considerable emphasis on preventive measures and risk factors associated with chronic illness such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory illness and mental health conditions in the Border areas. Has it made recommendations to the relevant Ministers and Departments on how health provisions can be improved?

Has there been progress made on these issues? I am particularly asking about the Western Health and Social Care Trust and Dr. Susan Connolly and the work she has done. I am aware there has been a bit of difficulty with getting that funded so it would be great if we could be given an update on that.

Mr. McCallion said he was cautiously optimistic about EU funding. I think we are all afraid Brexit would have a very dramatic impact on CAWT, how it delivers services and how it accessed EU funding as a way of doing that. Are there plans for further EU grant funding for projects the coming period in 2022? Where are we on that? I will leave it there and hand over to my colleague, Deputy Conway-Walsh.