Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1387.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the nature and extent of engagement her Department has had with other Government agencies and departments in relation to the problems faced by workers, who live in the North and who work for Southern-based companies, who wish to work from home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33325/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In general, the Department of the Taoiseach is the government coordinator of cross-border policy issues. However, my Department regularly contributes to the work of other departments and agencies in relation to all island issues, where the scope is relevant to the remit of the Department of Social Protection.

For example, the Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services (CBPES) is a collaboration between the Department of Social Protection in Ireland and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland to support information dissemination and support for employers recruiting cross border workers and workers living in one jurisdiction and working in another. CBPES covers all of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland (Louth, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim). The work of CBPES, led by a Steering Group of twelve stakeholders including union, jobseeker and business representatives is delivered through a network of specialist advisers on cross border issues. In particular, the Partnership provides pathways to the information required by people moving across the border, for example, jobseekers that need information on employment and training opportunities on both sides of the border, on taxation and the social security systems. CBPES also aims assists employers by providing them with access to a larger pool of labour i.e. jobseekers living on both sides of the border.

In addition, the Department regularly attends the Border People Advisory Group meetings, providing technical advice on the interplay of competing social security agreements.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.