Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of the type and frequency of North South engagement his Department undertakes; the current priorities in this area; the number of whole time equivalent staff assigned to these matters; the grades involved and the amount of time each grade spends on North South activities as a proportion of their WTE employment; the co-ordination arrangements that have been put in place; if there are any current vacancies in North South Co-operation unites; the duration of this vacancy and the steps being taken to fill the vacancy. [48539/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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North South co-operation is a strategic priority of my Department, in particular in the context of the Good Friday Agreement. My Department has two North South Implementation Bodies under its remit - Waterways Ireland and An Foras Teanga. The latter Body comprises Foras na Gaeilge (with the responsibility of promoting the Irish language in every aspect of everyday life throughout the island of Ireland) and the Ulster Scots Agency/Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (with the responsibility of promoting the Ulster-Scots language and culture, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island of Ireland). Waterways Ireland is responsible for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of the inland navigable waterway system throughout the island, principally for recreational purposes.

These North South Bodies are co-funded and co-sponsored with the Department of Arts, Culture and Leisure, Northern Ireland. In addition to the language and inland waterways sectors, the Deputy will be aware that there is ongoing North South engagement in a number of other areas of my Department, some of which also come within the remit of the Department of Arts, Culture and Leisure. These include arts, culture, museums galleries and commemorations, as well as co-operation in relation to built and natural heritage and other environmental matters.

I and officials of my Department are directly involved in frequent North South engagement at both formal and informal levels, up to and including the highest levels. The most recent engagement was at the plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on Friday last, 2 November in Armagh. The ongoing engagement involves a variety of officers in my Department across the range of activities involved, in addition to those dealing specifically with the North South Bodies mentioned.

My Department's staff complement for An Foras Teanga comprises 5 officers (viz. Director 25%, PO 25%, AP 80%, HEO 100% and CO 100%). A North South Co-operation Unit has been in place in my Department since its establishment. The 2 staff members working full-time in the Unit also have responsibility for Waterways Ireland. The Unit is overseen by a Principal Officer (25%), who also has a number of other responsibilities.