MINISTER FOR Finance Brian Lenihan and his Northern Ireland counterpart Nigel Dodds are to meet to see if a joint approach between both governments will help address some common major economic challenges.
The Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson met Taoiseach Brian Cowen in Dublin for the first time since his election and said that the meeting had been dominated by the economy and the impasse between the DUP and Sinn Féin that has deadlocked the Northern Ireland Executive.
“There are problems facing us all and we reached a conclusion that officials should get together and that the two finance ministers should meet to talk about some of the issues and to see if there is any way, in common, we might address them,” Mr Robinson said.
Mr Cowen met delegations from the DUP and Sinn Féin in succession yesterday.
Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds arrived at 2pm for a meeting that lasted over an hour. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and his Sinn Féin colleague Gerry Kelly arrived shortly after 4pm to meet the Taoiseach.
A Government spokesman said the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin had very useful meetings with both delegations on a wide range of issues relating to the present situation in the North, the wider issue of North-South co-operation and the global economic situation.
“The Taoiseach expressed concerns about the ongoing difficulties in the North and encouraged both parties to work together to resolve these difference and reiterated the support of the Government for the two parties and their efforts,” the spokesman said.