Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This committee is developing a report on all-Ireland trade, which will focus, in particular, on some of the barriers to that trade. It would be helpful if the delegates would submit some of the points they have raised today for consideration in that context. As I said, one of the focuses of our report will be the challenges that arise in respect of cross-Border trade.

There are competitive advantages that swing from one jurisdiction to the other, depending on which tax policy is implemented or whatever. A very interesting thing is happening at present as the North is likely to get fiscal powers quite shortly. Organisations such as those represented here should lobby the Government in the South to push for that and if they are associated with similar trade organisations in the North, they could get them to push for it there. The only thing that will stop these leakages from one jurisdiction to the other is equalisation of all of these matters across the island. All the policing and regulations in the world will not stop people seeking out the competitive advantages on either side of the Border when they exist.