Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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682. To ask the Minister for Health the date for the next meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister for Health,Social Services and Public Safety in sectoral format, as provided for in the North-South Ministerial Council, the issues to be discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22858/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The 21st North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Health and Food Safety meeting is expected to take place in the autumn.

At the recent NSMC Plenary held in Dublin Castle on 4 July, the Council had a detailed discussion on the potential impact of the UK referendum result to leave the EU. It was agreed that a full audit will be undertaken in all sectors to identify possible impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies arising in the phases preceding and following the UK's withdrawal from the EU. It was also agreed that this work will in turn be submitted to Ministerial sectoral meetings for consideration.

While the agenda for the next health and food safety sectoral meeting has not been decided, I expect that as envisaged at the discussion at the NSMC Plenary on the UK referendum result, the Minister for Health for Northern Ireland and I will continue our consideration of the potential implications of the leave vote for North-South co-operation on the areas for which we have responsibility.

The meeting will also continue to discuss the many important issues which are the focus of the NSMC Health Sectoral Work Programme.