Debate contribution: North/South Ministerial Council: Health and Food Safety

Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on 1 July 2024.

MLA

Mr Mike Nesbitt

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

1 July 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statements

Heading

North/South Ministerial Council: Health and Food Safety

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4498841

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. In compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement about the twenty-fifth meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in the health and food safety sectoral format, which was held in Armagh on Thursday past, 27 June 2024. I chaired the meeting, junior Minister Aisling Reilly MLA attended as the accompanying Minister and Stephen Donnelly TD, Minister for Health, represented the Government of Ireland. The statement has been agreed with junior Minister Reilly, and I make it on behalf of both of us. I will begin with health. The Council welcomed the ongoing engagement between the Departments of Health in both jurisdictions in the context of the North/South Ministerial Council health and food safety work programme, and noted that a review of that work programme is ongoing. Ministers noted that a revised work programme will be developed by sponsor Departments in the coming months and then presented at the next NSMC sectoral meeting. The Council welcomed the continued cooperation of both Departments in the health sector since the last meeting.

That cooperation includes the following: progress following the successful implementation of the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021; continued progress on the development and implementation of strategies to prevent harm related to alcohol and drug misuse in both jurisdictions; continued engagement on opportunities to cooperate on common elements of substance abuse strategies across both jurisdictions; the potential for further collaboration on issues connected with alcohol and drug use, such as the sharing of learning through the North/South alcohol policy advisory group; the update on obesity prevention, including partnership through Safefood; suicide prevention initiatives in both jurisdictions, including joint working on the self-harm registry and the potential for further joint working on suicide prevention; updates on the All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network; the update on cross-border emergency planning and emergency response and the fact that both Health Departments will work collaboratively to seek ways to cooperate further on emergency planning and emergency response; the pharmacy update, particularly the information regarding the upcoming all-island medication safety conference; and the update on joint funding applications under the PEACE PLUS programme. During the meeting, Ministers received a presentation on cancer care and cooperation delivered by officials. The Council welcomed the significant developments by both jurisdictions in improving cancer services for people on the island of Ireland, including the continued cooperation and expansion of radiotherapy services at Altnagelvin Hospital and further cooperation on services provided through the North West Cancer Centre; the ongoing work of the Ireland-Northern Ireland-National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Consortium and its role in securing Health Research Board funding to support the priority thematic areas of the consortium, with the overall aim of advancing cancer research and innovation across the island in partnership with the NCI; the award, in June 2023, of Government of Ireland funding to the Cancer Fund for Children, including funding through the Shared Island Fund, to develop a second therapeutic residential centre that will be accessible to children and their families across the island of Ireland; and the ongoing and concerted effort and engagement in improving cancer research and clinical trials at an all-island scale and the fact that both Administrations are working together to develop projects to improve cancer services for patients across both jurisdictions, including efforts to identify funding streams to facilitate that work, including the exploration of further opportunities to avail themselves of Shared Island funding. The Council went on to note the scale of the climate and biodiversity crisis and the opportunity for the health sector to support biodiversity throughout its estates. Ministers noted the role of the health sector in promoting the physical and mental health co-benefits of actions to support biodiversity and address climate change; the intention of both Departments of Health to engage in discussions on climate change and loss of biodiversity; work to develop shared areas of interest to protect biodiversity and address climate change on the island; and the commitment to report on that at the next NSMC sectoral meeting. On food safety, Ministers welcomed the achievements of Safefood since the last meeting and the valuable contribution that it makes through its various activities. They include a progress report from Safefood on the high-level achievements and updates in relation to its public health role to promote food safety and healthy eating advice to the public and those involved in providing food on the island of Ireland. The body has developed and delivered various public health campaigns across all media; developed various all-island networks and programmes to promote food safety and healthy eating; promoted new working partnerships and all-island collaboration; and developed and distributed various resources in educational settings. Further, the body has carried out research, including research relating to meat thermometers; handwashing; food hypersensitivity; the use of antimicrobials in animals; convenience foods; costs of a healthy food basket; food offered to children in social activity centres; whole-system approaches to childhood obesity; plant-based dairy alternatives; children’s diets; food supplements; portion-control tools; fiscal and pricing food policies; and building sustainability into national healthy eating guidelines. The Council approved Safefood’s 2024 business plan and recommended budget/grant provision, and noted the position regarding Safefood’s business plans and budgets for 2017 and 2018 and the 2017-19 corporate plan.

Ministers noted that the business plans for 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023 and the corporate plans for 2020-22 and 2023-25 will be presented for consideration at a future meeting following approval by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The Council noted that the Safefood annual report and accounts for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 have been laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly and both Houses of the Oireachtas. Ministers welcomed the commencement by Safefood of a process to identify suitable candidates for appointment to the Safefood advisory committee, and the NSMC will be invited to consider nominees at a future meeting. The Council welcomed Safefood's progress and leadership on climate change. It noted further planned sustainability work and plans for further alignment of many operational public health programmes and activities towards the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals that are relevant to Safefood’s remit. Finally, the Council agreed that the next NSMC health and food safety meeting will be held this autumn.

I thank the Member for his statement and his question. I can commit to that, yes. Cross-border cooperation on alcohol and drug misuse, which does not respect a boundary or a border, is something that I discussed with Minister Donnelly last Thursday in Armagh. I would like to see that work brought forward in the work programme that is being developed for our consideration in the autumn.

1,122 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:49 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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