Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Taillon and thank her for her detailed presentation containing a lot of very good material, which is of importance to all of us, as public representatives, both North and South. I compliment the centre which has done exceptionally good research over the years. It has pulled together many issues affecting both sides of the Border and which need to addressed in an all-Ireland context. That type of material and research had been lacking over the decades, so it is very important that the centre's work continues. The centre has been a catalyst for pulling together strands on different issues relevant to all of the island. Its work has been very important.
The tone of the contribution struck a note that we must be pretty assertive in the need for much better cross-Border co-operation and in the development of further all-Ireland bodies in the context of the review of the St. Andrew's agreement. I had the opportunity to listen to the centre's presentation in Leinster House some time ago and to presentations at other conferences. It has always made the very valid point that there are areas which stand out in which we need to develop cross-Border, all-Ireland bodies, including in the area of further and third level education and in the delivery of health services. While co-operation is happening on an ad hocbasis in those areas, it needs to be pulled together and given that leadership and status. We need to get the proper architecture around the development and implementation of those policies.
The last major programme which had a common chapter was the National Development Plan 2010-2014, which was a very important chapter. Particular attention was paid to consultation in advance of that chapter being agreed by government. It was very disappointing that when an investment programme was launched in Belfast almost a year ago, at which Prime Minister Cameron, Mr. Robinson and Mr. McGuinness were the main speakers, there was no political representation from Government here. That was a missed opportunity. Whoever devised that mechanism of not continuing the common chapter approach has done a very serious disservice. We can have the common chapter and we might not get the investment and progress needed but if we do not have certain parameters within which to work, then we are going nowhere.There is so much potential and so much has been achieved. We always want to recognise what has been achieved on a daily basis between statutory organisations, both North and South, whether at semi-State level, State level or departmental level.
The centre can continue to highlight the need to harness the potential of all-Ireland development. The Border area, in particular, needs that emphasis and attention to draw investment because as we know, sadly, over the years, we lost out so much due to the Troubles.
In regard to PEACE IV, Ms Taillon mentioned that it will not provide for funding on a cross-Border basis to individual programmes. That would be disappointing because the idea of INTERREG and the PEACE programmes was to place a particular emphasis on the Border region plus the cross-Border aspect. My home parish borders County Fermanagh. When I cross over to a football match and chat to some of the locals in Fermanagh, we discuss the same issues I discuss in my home village of Bawnboy. It is farcical to think that projects with a cross-Border element will not be supported under a programme that should be targeted at those particular areas because there has been so much success in those cross-Border projects which all of us, as public representatives, have supported over the years. We have seen the real benefit in rural and urban communities of that investment, in particular the ownership of the projects by the local community.

Whatever we as a body can do, we should highlight the necessity of an inclusive North-South measure, particularly in regard to PEACE IV, where funding is identified. We want to ensure the funding reaches the areas, not only that we believe it should be targeted to but that need that particular additional investment. I sincerely thank the centre for its contribution and for the excellent work it has done over the years.