Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 326: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will report on the work of the North-South unit in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22600/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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There are four main areas of North-South co-operation being undertaken by my Department as follows:

Firstly, the all-Ireland Free Travel Scheme for senior residents in all parts of the island was introduced on foot of a commitment in the previous programme for Government (2002-2007). It enables certain people in each jurisdiction to travel free of charge from point to point within the other jurisdiction. Seniors (over 66) resident in the Republic can travel free of charge on all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland. Likewise, seniors (over 65) in Northern Ireland can travel free of charge on bus, rail, air and ferry services participating in the Free Travel scheme in this State.

The scheme was launched on 2 April 2007. Funding is expected to rise to €1.9 million this year. While it is not possible to predict precisely the number of customers likely to participate in the scheme, approximately 220,000 cross-border journeys are undertaken each year by an estimated 40,000 passengers, and it is hoped that take up of the scheme will be high.

Secondly, in June 2002 the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Plenary agreed that a dedicated cross-border website be established to counteract the complexity and difficulty people found in accessing relevant information on a range of issues from social security and taxation rights to housing and education. This work is being taken forward by the Cross Border Mobility Information Group, made up of officials from the two Administrations and the Joint Secretariat in Armagh. My Department is represented on the Group.

Funding of €173,000 for the project was approved in July 2006 under the Peace II programme, and the contract to develop this website has been awarded to the Centre for Cross Border Studies (CCBS).

The website will be structured around the four concepts of "Commute", "Work", "Live", and "Study" and will include information on public sector issues such as taxation, social security and job seeking, health and education as well as private sector issues such as banking, housing and telecommunications. It is anticipated that the website, which will be a tangible and practical example of the two Governments working together for the benefit of citizens, North and South, will be available to citizens by early 2008.

Thirdly, the strengthening of links with Northern Ireland and direct contact between the respective social welfare organizations is very important. For the past number of years my Department has hosted a number of Information Seminars in partnership with the Department of Social Development (DSD) and the Social Security Agency (SSA) in Northern Ireland. The objective of the Seminars is to provide frontline staff with the level of information needed to promote and increase benefit uptake within both jurisdictions by sharing information and good practice, and developing links between the two organisations and the voluntary sectors.

Themes covered in past Seminars include Pensions and Disabilities (2003), Families with particular emphasis on Carers and Lone parents (2004), "Best Practice" within both Departments, and issues relating to posted workers (2005), and the Challenge of providing social services in multi-ethnic society, with a particular focus on the migrant worker mobility in 2006. The theme for the 2007 Seminar was "Supporting people in older life".

In addition, the ninth annual Social Welfare Summer School was held in the National University of Ireland, Maynooth College, between 12th-8th August 2007. This joint venture between my Department and DSD, which is hosted alternately between both jurisdictions, aims to provide staff in both Departments with the opportunity to study a specific policy theme in an academic setting.

Finally, common text, which appears in Ireland's National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 and in Northern Ireland's Lifetime Opportunities: Government's Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy for Northern Ireland, outlines how the UK and Irish Governments are committed to developing and promoting co-operation in relation to combating poverty and social exclusion. It commits Ireland and Northern Ireland to preparing a Joint Report to include: an overview of areas of existing North/South co-operation; areas potentially suitable for further cooperation; and advice on the mechanisms by which this work might be undertaken and delivered.

The common text also appeared in the Irish and UK's National Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion (NSSPI), covering the period 2006 to 2008, which were submitted to the EU by each Member State in September 2006.

In February of this year, approval was given by the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference (BIIGC) to continuing North/South joint work to alleviate 'social exclusion, poverty and deprivation to help create a more inclusive society on the island of Ireland'.

Officials of my Department continue their long-standing practice of liaising with their counterparts in Northern Ireland and other jurisdictions on matters relating to controlling abuses of social welfare schemes.