Ms ?mer Deane:

I will take the question on when we will make the next announcements first, as it is maybe the easier one. Generally, we try to do two announcements a year. I expect we will do more towards the back end of the year, sometime in the autumn.

The nature of the fund continues to involve all capital projects. We do not think that will change. A certain amount of money goes to the dialogue and research strands but, in the main, the shared island fund is for capital projects. The priorities for the fund are very much informed by the programme for Government, the national planning framework, and the revised national development plan, as well as the priorities established through the North-South Ministerial Council.

As I was saying earlier, with the Northern Ireland Executive now operating again, there is a great opportunity as the programme for government in Stormont is agreed to see areas for potential new co-operation. We will, therefore, watch that closely. I expect that will come through the NSMC and, even more importantly in some ways, the sectoral meetings that will be held beyond that.

Dr. Farry mentioned health co-operation. That is an area we would expect will come more to the fore over the next period. There has, of course, been great work done in terms of Altnagelvin and child cardiac care, but there is more that could be done. Specifically on the medical places in Northern Ireland, in the most recent announcement by the Ministers, Deputies Harris and Donnelly, about 25 medical places in Queen's University Belfast, they were very clear to say that the aim is to build the skills base and labour force on the island to the benefit of both jurisdictions. I accept Dr. Farry's point that we need more in that sector and, therefore, as identified in the NESC reportand as mentioned by the Taoiseach in the shared Ireland forum, skills will be another area of focus for us in the years ahead.