Mr. Paul Mac Flynn:

In terms of the general point about all-island matters falling off the agenda, I think it would join a long list of longer-term solutions to economic growth that have fallen off the agenda in recent years. In both North and South, in policy terms, we have turned to short-term fire-fighting measures. I absolutely agree that the focus on an all-island economy is a more long-term strategy for growth.

In terms of the enterprise zones, I suppose the Deputy pointed to one way of seeing it, but I think it is a fairly harsh way of trying to achieve regional balance by seeing it as a zero-sum game.

My point was not to say that particular regions should not be singled out for greater attention but that there is a tendency with the model of enterprise zones to focus on supply side measures which tend to encourage the shifting of activity rather than demand side measures in parallel with infrastructure that tend to increase the total amount of economic activity.