Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The absence of the Assembly and the Executive in Northern Ireland is deplorable at this time when the North-South Ministerial Council should be meeting and preparing an all-Ireland approach to Brexit. Unfortunately, that is the position. Can the Minister give the House an assurance that there is good and active co-operation between the authorities here and Northern Ireland Departments and agencies? I am sure business people from Fermanagh and Tyrone speak to the Minister, as they do to me, about their concerns regarding a non-functioning Executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland. They are anxious that there be the utmost co-operation between the authorities here and in Northern Ireland to ensure the concerns of businesses, North and South, will be addressed and that the inter-dependence of businesses will be kept on the agenda at all times.

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