Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of the most recent cross-Border dialogue between officials from his Department and those representing the power sharing executive in Northern Ireland; and the presence or assistance Ireland proposes with regard to the upcoming investment conference in Northern Ireland to be held in May 2008. [10306/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Officials from my Department have regular and ongoing contact at all levels with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive. We have offered the Northern Ireland administration all the support we can, including through our Ambassador to the United States and his colleagues there, to ensure that the US Investment Conference which takes place in Belfast in May is a success. Both the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Brown have confirmed they will participate in the conference.

The Investment Conference was discussed at the recent NSMC Plenary meeting held in Dundalk and I have asked our Ministers travelling to the United States for St. Patrick's Day to make investing in Northern Ireland and our all-island economy a key part of their message to the business community. I recently met with both the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shaun Woodward MP and US Under-Secretary of State and President Bush's Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Paula Dobriansky, when we underlined our shared commitment to do everything possible to assist the Investment Conference.