Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive and look forward to the North South Ministerial Council resuming its full operations. There have been contacts over the past week between the Government and the newly appointed Ministers in the Executive. In these contacts, Minister indicated our readiness to engage constructively with the Executive on areas where North South cooperation can make a positive difference.

The new Northern Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has signaled his intention to address the environmental issues in Lough Neagh, and that he intends shortly to publish a plan, a necessary first step. Minister Muir has also said that these issues are multi-factorial and will take time to resolve.

The Government is willing and ready to cooperate with Minister Muir on this issue on a cross-border basis, including through the North South Ministerial Council. The question of resourcing, whether through the Shared Island initiative or otherwise, as part of any cooperation would need to be considered by the relevant Ministers and environmental authorities, North and South.