Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 514: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government 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. [22597/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The North/South Unit of my Department is responsible for coordinating matters relating to North/South and British-Irish co-operation in the environmental area in the framework of the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements. Since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive in May 2007 work has intensified regarding the preparations necessary for meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council. In July I attended the first North/South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting since 2002 and met with, among others, my Northern Ireland counterpart, Ms. Arlene Foster, Minister of the Environment.

I will be meeting with Ms. Foster in the near future at a North/South Ministerial Council Environment Sector meeting and I look forward to working with her to promote mutually beneficial co-operation on environmental matters. The North/South Unit of my Department is working with the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland and the Joint Secretariat in Armagh to prepare for this meeting.