Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

197. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the agenda for the next meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council; and if European Union funding for cross-Border bodies and the Narrow Water Bridge is available. [16860/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While a date for the next meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Plenary format has not yet been agreed with the Northern Ireland Executive, I would hope that the meeting, to be held in Dublin, will take place shortly. This will provide an opportunity for the Government and the new Northern Ireland Executive to discuss North/South co-operation in the months ahead. I would expect the Plenary agenda to include discussions on economic and financial matters, co-operation on EU matters, review of existing NSMC work programmes and new priorities for cooperation, as well as a range of other issues including the North West Gateway Initiative and North/South commitments made under the Fresh Start Agreement (November 2015).

As agreed in Section E of the Fresh Start Agreement, a report by Senior Officials from relevant Departments, North and South,on implementation of the commitments for targeted investment in cross-border economic infrastructure will be considered at the forthcoming Plenary meeting. This will include a review of the Narrow Water Bridge and Ulster Canal projects and on opportunities to source further investment for all-island infrastructure projects for mutual benefit. An update on the A5 Western Transport Corridor is also expected.

The availability of EU funds for the North South Implementation Bodies would be a matter for the relevant Ministers who exercise direct responsibility for those Bodies in this jurisdiction together with the corresponding Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive. As reported at the December 2015 Plenary, recent NSMC sectoral meetings have seen good discussions by Ministers on drawing down EU funding to support the specific work of the Bodies and North South cooperation in general.

As regards the Narrow Water Bridge project, the identification of funding sources for any future project must await the outcome of the above-mentioned ongoing review.