Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to the North; and the persons that he met there. [17256/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 6: To ask the Taoiseach if he has been in contact with the First and Deputy First Minister in relation to recent violence in East Belfast. [17257/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 7: To ask the Taoiseach when he next plans to travel to the North; and the persons that he will meet. [17258/11]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 8: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his plans to visit Northern Ireland. [17273/11]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 9: To ask the Taoiseach if he has received a report on the sectarian clashes in the Short Strand area of Belfast on the 21 and 22 June 2011. [17274/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 10: To ask the Taoiseach the contacts he has had with the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister to discuss last week's rioting by loyalist paramilitaries in Belfast. [17277/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 11: To ask the Taoiseach if he will detail his approach to the number and timings of North/South meetings at Cabinet level. [17284/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 12: To ask the Taoiseach if he will outline in more detail the more proactive role he intends taking in relation to recent events in Northern Ireland. [17672/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 13: To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide further details on his visit to Northern Ireland at the weekend; the persons whom he met and the discussions he held. [17673/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 14: To ask the Taoiseach his priorities for his first official visit to Northern Ireland; and the arrangements that have been made. [17674/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 15: To ask the Taoiseach if he will outline the arrangements he has made to distribute a formal review of the implementation of the Programme for Government. [17275/11]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 14, inclusive, together.

I travelled to Derry on Saturday, 25 June, to participate at the official opening of the new peace bridge. Also in attendance at the bridge opening were the North's First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness; European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn; the Lord Mayor of Derry, Maurice Devenney, as well as representatives of ILEX and the special EU programmes body.

The peace bridge in Derry is a modern and potent symbol of all that has been achieved in overcoming adversity and division and the potential of what can be achieved in the future. It is a hugely encouraging milestone to all those who are working to sustain peace and create a thriving economy in which to live. It also underlines in a tangible way what can be achieved when we all work together towards a vision of the future.

While in attendance at this event I took the opportunity to have informal discussions with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on recent developments in Northern Ireland.

The events of last week were regrettable and serve to remind us that we can never afford to be complacent about peace in the North, a point I made in my speech at the opening of the peace bridge on Saturday. We must continue to work with communities to tackle the issues of sectarianism.

The Garda will, of course, continue to provide every assistance and co-operation to the PSNI in tackling criminality on both sides of the Border.

I have been receiving regular updates from officials in relation on the situation and will continue to be kept up to date. Reconciliation work with communities on the ground will continue to be supported by the Government through the reconciliation and anti-sectarianism fund which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

After the opening of the peace bridge I paid a visit to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where the Government is collaborating with our Northern colleagues to provide a new radiotherapy unit which will provide services to patients from Donegal.

I am personally committed to seeing further co-operation between North and South such as the Altnagelvin project and intend visiting Northern Ireland on a regular basis.

As I reported in the House last week, at the last plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council we approved a schedule of future North South Ministerial Council sectoral meetings which will take place before the end of this year.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Tá mé an-sásta go raibh an Taoiseach ann ag oscailt an droichid nua i nDoire. Bhí lá galánta ann sa chathair stairiúil sin. Bhí mé ag caint le Martin McGuinness faoi sin agus bhí seisean ag labhairt faoi "brand, bright new day" - níl a fhios agam an raibh sé ag labhairt nó ag canadh. Tá áthas orm fosta go raibh an Taoiseach in ann dul chuig Otharlann Altnagelvin, tá obair iontach déanta ansin ag na húdaráis anseo agus ag daoine sa Tionól. Aontaím faoin méid a bhí le rá faoi na rudaí dona a tharla i mBéal Feirste agus is cúis sásaimh é go raibh an Taoiseach ag caint leis an Phríomh Aire agus and Leas-Phríomh Aire faoi sin. Rinne an tArd-Mhéara, Níall Ó Donnghaile, an-obair fosta, chomh maith le daoine eile ar an taobh eile. Tá mé sásta fosta gur thug an t-Úachtarán cuairt ar an cheantar lena fear chéile, cuairt an-tábhachtach a bhí ann ar an Trá Gearr agus ar cheantar na ndílseoirí fosta. Obair mhaith í sin atá ina céim eile chun cinn sa phróiseas síochána.

I will round off by referring to the Taoiseach's comment that the Government continues to be committed to funding or assisting projects which are of benefit to people across the island. Does he agree that more such joint projects are needed to continue the peace process and help people? While the decisions on Altnagelvin Hospital and the bridge building, both figurative and literal, were good, it is ridiculous that we have two different education systems. Magee College and Letterkenny are a good example. These types of issues could be easily sorted out by Ministers working with their counterparts not only on health and education but also on the economy, energy and so forth. Will the Taoiseach give us some sense of the Government's intentions on these matters?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I share the Deputy's view. There are unique opportunities for continued development in an all-island, cross-Border sense. The area of tourism and trade has always been central to this. The peace bridge, with its iconic symbol, is symbolic of the distance people have travelled in Northern Ireland in general and Derry in particular. The opening of the bridge also symbolises the extent of co-operation and assistance provided by our European colleagues. It was great that Commissioner Hahn was present at the opening to see at first hand the enthusiasm of people and the distance Derry has travelled. The city is now a centre of energetic vibrancy and is looking forward to fulfilling its role as city of culture 2013. The arrangements being made in this regard are first class.

Developments at Altnagelvin Hospital, where I met many cancer patients, have brought a conclusion to a very long saga. The Government intends to follow through on the commitment made by the previous Government on this matter. The statement from the Minister, Edwin Poots, confirming that Altnagelvin Hospital will have a radiotherapy unit has been sealed, as it were, by a commitment made by the Irish Government. The allocation provided for completion of the radiotherapy unit is of the order of €19 million. It is important to note that staff at Altnagelvin Hospital point out that the unit is not only for Derry but for the north west as a whole as up to 30% of those who will attend the unit will be from County Donegal, as is right and proper.

I see huge scope for further interaction in a cross-Border sense. I hope Ministers here and from the Executive, both in their informal connections and in the sectoral areas they will pursue between this and the next formal meeting, will start to focus on areas where co-operation is possible and there will be cost savings and mutual benefits as a consequence. Education is clearly one such area, although there are different certification and qualification standards in place and these are always difficult to level out between professionals, as the Deputy will understand. There are myriad things that can happen in everybody's interest and I support that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I object again to the Taoiseach treating every Northern Ireland issue as related, as had been done by taking Questions Nos. 5 to 14, inclusive, together. This is a disappointing attitude which denies Deputies the opportunity to obtain real and specific information on the questions we have asked. I tabled five of the questions in the group.

I welcome the progress made on the radiotherapy unit for Altnagelvin Hospital. The previous Government was committed to the unit and it is good to note that progress is continuing to be made in this regard.

On the economic side, the north-west spatial strategy requires further development, engagement and agreement on all sides. There has been at times on the Northern side a reluctance on all sides to engage in what is a logical approach to economic and social development in the north west as a special economic zone. There are many significant complementarities. I ask the Taoiseach to pursue this matter in his contacts.

On the Short Strand issue, I pay tribute, as I am sure will the Taoiseach, to President and Senator McAleese who visited the lower Newtownards Road and Short Strand yesterday. While the visit was arranged before the recent trouble, the timing was excellent and served as a reminder of the need for us to continue to take an active role and encourage community development and reconciliation. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment to ensure the supports provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs to the reconciliation and anti-sectarian funds are ring-fenced and maintained? While the sums involved are not very large, they play a significant role in providing seed funding to many community groups and organisations which work to enhance reconciliation and community development in interface areas.

Has the Taoiseach been given a briefing on what took place during the recent trouble, who the PSNI believes was responsible and what is being done to avoid a repeat of the attacks we saw on the Short Strand? Will he continue the spirit of cross-party co-operation on these issues and share these briefings with me and my party's spokesperson on foreign affairs?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I share the Deputy's view in this regard. We cannot call for others to provide funding if we are not prepared to provide some ourselves. Deputy Martin and I have discussed this matter previously. Sensitive areas and fragile communities need to have the agencies of both Governments constantly working with them. Funding of €3 million was allocated for 2011 for the reconciliation and anti-sectarianism funds. This figure matches the funding provided from 2008 to 2010. Two allocations of funding were made this year and a further round of funding allocations is expected to take place in the autumn. To date in 2011, a total of €2.194 million has been allocated to 80 groups and organisations. More than ten groups and organisations working in the Derry region received grant allocations in 2011 and many of these work with young people who are at risk of involvement in interface violence and anti-social activity. I support this funding which we will keep under review.

Everybody has a valid part to play and from that perspective the Government and agencies it supports will continue to work with our colleagues politically and at community level in the interests of everybody so as to ensure the peace process continues.

The PSNI made clear its view on who was responsible for the riots. They achieve nothing and give a bad name to the good work being done by many people in Northern Ireland on all sides of the community. It is this work that we want to continue. The focus of the Government will be on co-operation with the Executive and between the Garda and PSNI as well as providing support for communities both here and abroad. I will continue to work as we have always supported all Government activity in this area for the past 25 years.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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While there is no question that the UVF was responsible for the recent attack on the Short Strand area, is the Taoiseach aware that the traffic is not all one-way, so to speak? Ongoing sectarian clashes are taking place in areas of the North with individuals and groups in both communities responsible for fomenting the trouble. Unfortunately, the individuals and groups in question are able to use mass unemployment and a sense of hopelessness among a cohort of youth who do not see much future for themselves against the economic background.

That is a breeding ground for the sectarian clashes. Will the Taoiseach now review the Good Friday Agreement, 13 years after it was reached? When I spoke on it in the Dáil I said it was an institutionalisation of sectarian division and, unfortunately, that has proved to be the case politically. The political parties in the Executive, for example, are still largely almost exclusively on one or other side of the sectarian divide.

Real action, rather than symbolism, is needed to address the crises and issues that are a breeding ground for sectarianism. Does the Taoiseach agree that the horrific cuts being planned by the British Government for health and other areas, including community areas, will further complicate and add difficulty to the situation and that they should be resisted?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Symbolism is important. It is not just the symbolism of the new Peace Bridge in Derry but the fact that people and cyclists can now cross the Foyle over the Peace Bridge and visit Ebrington Barracks, which has been transformed into a public facility, speaks of the journey the people of Derry, in particular, have made arising from this. That symbolism also gives young people a sense of hope that the future will be very different from the past.

The discussions we had in respect of the North South Ministerial Council reflected, to some extent, the changes that are coming in Northern Ireland because of the budgetary situation and the views of the British Government. This Government is committed to a number of projects to continue to demonstrate that we believe economic activity on both sides of the Border helps the entire island. Obviously, I cannot speak for the British Government but the period ahead for Northern Ireland will not involve elections next year or the year after, so there is a clear space politically for the new Executive and the Members of the Assembly to do their work. I am aware from our conversations that they are discussing a range of objectives and problems with the British Government. It is a matter for them to decide.

As far as this Government is concerned, we will continue to involve ourselves closely. As the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, has often pointed out, in loyalist areas, in particular, young working class men have a sense of fragility and they must be shown that change and hope can lead to a better future and life for them. That requires involvement, agencies to work with people, communities to work with each other and it requires investment. We will continue to provide that assistance in so far as we can.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On the broader issue of contacts with the Northern Ireland Executive, we need evidence of a more active engagement with the North from across the Government. It is surprising that four months into the term of the new Government there has been no formal series of meetings between the Taoiseach and Northern leaders. I would have expected that to have happened at this stage. It is important that an Irish Government step up its engagement, as opposed to stepping away from the North. There is a sense in some quarters that perhaps the issue is closed and that we should just let people get on with things. That is a wrong approach and I am concerned it might be the approach taken by members of the Government. I ask the Taoiseach to ensure that all levels of the Government undertake a proactive engagement with issues in the North. Will he agree to increase his direct contacts with Northern leaders? Does he envisage doing so? Will he ensure that we will not have to wait until the next North South Ministerial Council to progress the issues that were discussed at the last one in Farmleigh?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Adams got the mood right in this case. There has been a strong and positive reaction to my attendance at the opening of the Peace Bridge. I have encouraged every member of the Government to involve themselves informally with their counterparts in the Executive. I hope that by the time the next North South Ministerial Council takes place a range of sectoral meetings will have taken place with interests on either side. Beyond that, I hope there will be regular contact between our Ministers and those in the Executive. For my part, it is a case of structuring my time in a better way so I can make regular contact with the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and the leaders of the other parties. I will continue to do that and will be happy to report regularly to the House on what we are doing. I do not object to the House having an opportunity to discuss continuing issues in respect of co-operation between the Republic and Northern Ireland or issues as they arise. This is in everybody's interest.