Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 189: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the contacts she has with her counterparts in Northern Ireland to help advance in a logical manner the development of medical services on the island of Ireland (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4555/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I had arranged to have lunch with Ms Angela Smith MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office, on the occasion of her visit to Dublin on 9 December 2004 on other business. Unfortunately, on the day, I was obliged to cancel the lunch appointment as I was scheduled to take Report Stage of the Health Bill 2004 in the Dáíl. I hope to meet her as soon as possible.

There is a long history of close contact at the highest level and good relations between my Department and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Belfast. This relationship was boosted by the establishment of the North-South Ministerial Council, which enabled a strategic context to emerge for ministerial oversight, support and drive for advancing the designated areas of health co-operation. These areas include accident and emergency services, planning for major emergencies, high technology equipment, cancer research and health promotion. Work continues in these areas towards identifying actions and measures to improve planning, efficiency and service from an all-island perspective. A recent meeting at Secretary General level reviewed progress under each of these headings.

Practical co-operation between health authorities on both sides of the Border has always been an operational fact of life. A major force and focus for this co-operation is the co-operation and working together project, a cross-Border initiative. Co-operation and working together is an invaluable catalyst for joint working in the Border area. It is ideally placed to identify, initiate and implement proposals for future service development. My Department and the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety recognise the force for joint working represented by Co-operation. Working together we are committed to ensuring the progress of Co-operation and working together. Examples of co-operation at the wider North-South level are the work of the Food Safety Promotion Board and joint initiatives in nursing and midwifery and in specialist medical training rotation schemes. I look forward to the continuation of close working contacts with our Northern Ireland counterparts.