Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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922. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date for the next meeting with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive in sectorial format, as provided for in the North-South Ministerial Council; the issues to be discussed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22856/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I participate in the child protection agenda of the Health and Food Safety Sectorial of the North South Ministerial Council. I can confirm that there is no date scheduled as yet for the next sectorial meeting. The Child Protection agenda to date has focussed on the following five agreed workstreams:

Although we do not have an exact date for the next meeting, meetings generally take place at intervals of approximately six months. Prior to meetings, the agenda with issues to be discussed are agreed by both sides. It is expected that the child protection focus of the next meeting will be on progress in relation to the workstreams, and will also address the review of the child protection work programme.

My Department also participates in Education sectorial meetings. I understand that the next Education sectorial meeting will take place on 21 September 2016.

A discussion was held at the 4 July Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on the potential impact of the UK referendum result to leave the EU. In order to optimise joint planning and engagement on key issues arising following the UK referendum result, the NSMC agreed that a full audit will be undertaken in all sectors to identify the possible impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies arising in the phases preceding and following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. It also agreed that this work will in turn be submitted to ministerial sectorial meetings for consideration as to the strategic and cross-cutting issues arising and that final priorities will be agreed by the next NSMC Plenary for both pre-negotiation and negotiation phases.