Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 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. [48548/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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North South economic co-operation is and will remain a priority for myself and the Government. To this effect, there is on-going dialogue between relevant Ministers, North and South, in all areas to promote economic development in the border region. My officials engage in on-going dialogue with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and keep me informed of all key North/South related issues including the North/South activities of the enterprise development agencies. My officials liaise regularly with their counterparts in DETI and the staff of InterTradeIreland (ITI) in relation to a variety of, ITI programme activity, corporate governance and financial matters.

In addition, my Department provides funding support for enterprise-themed Interreg projects jointly approved with DETI. In this regard my officials attend steering committee meetings and other planning meetings with their colleagues in DETI on a regular basis. At present there are four members of staff working in this North/South Unit. The staff of the Unit also have other responsibilities relating to other Departmental issues. The Unit has an Executive Officer vacancy since September 2012 which is being addressed as part of the Department’s overall staffing management. The proportion of time spent per grade on North South activities in the Unit is set out in the following table:

In addition to this Unit, a small number of staff in other areas of my Department would have engagement on North/South issues, as relevant matters arise in those areas. The Government, along with the enterprise development agencies, will continue to work diligently with the Northern Ireland Executive and its agencies to increase the economic benefits accruing from cross-border co-operation.