Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To be helpful, I will keep my answers snappy in order to try to make up time. I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for raising this important matter. I agree that there needs to be good co-operation between the North and the South, between the Republic and Northern Ireland. The Tánaiste and I had a regular meeting today with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Deputy First Minister and the Minister of Health, along with our officials, to look at how we can continue to share information and co-operate. I am due to have another meeting at 6.30 p.m. with the Northern Ireland's Minister of Health about that sharing of information. The Garda Commissioner is conscious of the law here and enforcing that. I know that restrictions are in place in the North to be enforced by the PSNI. I hope that, through the good, close working relationship between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána, they could help to address some of the issues that Deputy Fitzpatrick has rightly raised. The Minister for Justice and Equality is due to speak to his counterpart about that matter shortly to see if we can provide clarity to people in the North and the Republic about current restrictions.

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