Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills 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. [48543/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department's North/South Co-operation Unit is responsible for the co-ordination and development of co-operation and common action in education between both parts of the island of Ireland, in the context of the Good Friday Agreement. The principal function of the Unit is to take forward this co-operation through the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and to co-ordinate and develop, within that framework, common policies in the four designated priority areas of co-operation: special education needs, educational underachievement, teacher mobility and school, youth and teacher exchanges. The NSMC meets in Education Sectoral format about three times per year, and in Plenary session about twice yearly.

The NSMC, in Education Sectoral format, established in 2002 a number of Joint Working Groups, on which my Department is represented. They meet periodically to develop and advance cross-border co-operation through practical measures in special education, pupil attendance/retention, literacy/numeracy, teacher qualifications; and school, youth and teacher exchanges. The North/South Co-operation Unit also promotes co-operation through ongoing bi-lateral contacts with officials in the Northern Ireland Department of Education and Department of Employment and Learning. In addition, the Unit develops, supports and participates in a range of programmes and joint initiatives designed to increase mutual understanding and promote closer co-operation. The North South Co-operation Unit reports to an Assistant Secretary within my Department and has the following staff.- 1 (1 wte) Assistant Principal Officer - 1 (1 wte) Higher Executive Officer (vacancy)- 1 (1 wte) Administrative Officer (vacancy)- 2 (1.5 wte) Executive Officers - 1 (0.8 wte) Staff officer- 1 (0.5 wte) Clerical Officer *whole-time equivalent. These resources are complemented as required by input of other sections within my Department.