Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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257. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the North-South Ministerial Council. [30193/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC) has played a key role in developing consultation, cooperation, and action on the island of Ireland on matters of mutual interest and within the competence of the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. My Department works closely with the Department of the Taoiseach in regard to NSMC matters and the Taoiseach co-chairs the NSMC Plenary meetings with the Northern Ireland First Minister and deputy First Minister.

However, in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive and specifically a First and deputy First Minister the North South Ministerial Council cannot meet.

As the formal means for bilateral discussions between the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, the NSMC has a crucial role to play in the Brexit discussions and the negotiations ahead. The most recent NSMC Plenary meetings on 4 July 2016 in Dublin Castle and on 18 November 2016 in Armagh saw the Government and the Executive agree on a number of important common principles for dealing with Brexit on an all-island basis, scoping out the sectoral implications of Brexit for Ireland, North and South, and agreeing to work together to optimise North-South planning in the phases preceding and following Brexit. It was agreed that this work would be taken forward through continuing bilateral discussions within the NSMC at sectoral level, as well as through a high-level working group comprising senior officials from the Government and from the Northern Ireland Executive Office.

At the Plenary meeting of the NSMC on 18 November 2016 in Armagh the Council considered an update by a group of Senior Officials from relevant Departments, North and South, on the progress being made on implementing the commitments set out in Section E of the Fresh Start Agreement, to provide support and funding for North-South infrastructure projects. The review is ongoing and a further report will be presented at a future Plenary meeting. The Senior Officials have since met in February 2017 and again in early June to consider progress on all of the Section E commitments.

The Council also received an update in relation to the North West Gateway Initiative. Ministers welcomed the establishment by Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council of the North West Strategic Growth Partnership which will aim to work with central government North and South to ensure the North West region can reach its full potential.

The NSMC Plenary meeting was advised that Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council had finalised the necessary arrangements for oversight and delivery of the North West Strategic Growth Plan and the associated €5m North West Development Fund which was established under the Fresh Start Agreement. I am pleased that the Irish Government has played a leading role in this regard – contributing €2.5 million to the Fund. The Inaugural meeting of the North West Strategic Partnership was subsequently held on 7 December 2016 and attended by senior officials from Departments, North and South, and I welcome that the second meeting of the Partnership was held last week.

The Government remains engaged with the political parties in Northern Ireland. I am hopeful that meetings of the North South Ministerial Council will soon recommence to enable further important engagement on progressing all-island cooperation in general and in particular addressing the challenges of Brexit.