Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses from Enterprise Ireland are most welcome and I thank them for coming today.

One of the issues in relation to trading in goods between Ireland and the UK was mentioned here by the former Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, namely, the possibility of having a common trading area. Indeed, Senators Mark Daly and Joe O'Reilly have mentioned the possibility of special arrangements in respect of cross-Border trade. If there is to be a special economic zone, either for Northern Ireland or for the whole island of Ireland, with special trading rights vis-à-visthe United Kingdom as part of the imaginative and flexible Barnier proposals, who is thinking about that? Is it the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation? Is Enterprise Ireland involved in a dialogue on that? Where in the Government is the thinking on that concept going on? Is it in the Department of An Taoiseach? Is Enterprise Ireland being consulted or being asked for input into the imaginative and flexible solutions that the former Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, and various other people were talking about in terms of dealing with the island as an economic unit or having special arrangements with the United Kingdom? Who is actually working on that scenario or possibility? Is Enterprise Ireland being fully consulted on such matters?