Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had discussions with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the difficulties that will face the agri-food sector on an all-Ireland basis post-Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33527/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that I spoke via telephone conference call with my Northern Ireland counterpart, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Edwin Poots MLA, on 9 September. 

Our conversation was very constructive, and covered North-South trading arrangements post-Brexit, implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol, and the prospects for the wider EU-UK discussions on the future relationship.

We both expressed a commitment to working together on common issues and concluded by committing to speaking again soon. Indeed, I hope that we can develop the relationship further in the context of our attendance at the Agriculture Sectoral meeting of the North South Ministerial Council, which is scheduled to take place on 18 November. 

There is of course ongoing contact between officials in my Department and officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA ) in Northern Ireland on a range of issues.