Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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709. To ask the Minister for Health if he will meet with his counterpart in the North, the Minister, Michelle O'Neill, in advance of the NSMC meeting scheduled for November 2016 to discuss issues of common importance, including the scoping exercise which both Departments agreed to at the last meeting, the impacts of Brexit, and cross-Border health projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27208/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no current request for a meeting with the Minister for Health in Northern Ireland. The Deputy will be aware that I met with Minister O'Neill, at the NSMC Plenary meeting on July 4th . On the same day we jointly committed to a €57 million investment in the all-island Congenital Heart Disease Service at Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin Dublin.

The twenty first North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Health and Food Safety meeting will take place in Armagh on the 9th of November. I expect that, as envisaged at the discussion at the NSMC Plenary on the UK referendum result, Minister O'Neill 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. I would reiterate what I said to the Deputy in a reply to a previous parliamentary question on July 5th that people can be assured that there will be no immediate changes in the area of health as a consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Cross-border services and health cooperation with Northern Ireland will not be affected in the immediate term by the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

At a departmental level co-operation between the two jurisdictions is active and ongoing. My officials and I are committed to continuing to work together with our Northern colleagues on issues of common concern and benefit.