Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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9. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the issues discussed at the recent North South Ministerial Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57649/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The NSMC was established under Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement and is one of the key drivers of North South cooperation on this island. Since the restoration of the Good Friday Agreement institutions last year, there have been thirty-one meetings of the NSMC, across the three different formats - plenary, institutional and sectoral formats.

The most recent NMSC plenary meeting took place last week, on 17 October, in Farmleigh, hosted by the Irish Government. The meeting took place in a very constructive and cordial atmosphere, and provided an opportunity for Irish Government ministers to engage face-to face with their Northern counterparts on a number of issues of mutual interest and concern.

The meeting was an opportunity to return to important discussions from previous plenaries, including on business and trade matters, infrastructure and investment cooperation, and tackling gender based violence on the island.

Ministers also engaged in an initial discussion on cross-border Emergency Planning and Preparedness, which will be especially relevant as we face into winter, to ensure greater co-operation across the island when responding to emergencies such as major weather events.

Meetings are detailed in full in the Joint Communiqué issued after the meetings and published on the NSMC website at this link -