Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations, the detail thereof and their comprehensive responses. As we near the end of this meeting, I raise two more general and newish points. It has been said Northern Ireland has the best of both worlds. I have been saying that, like so many others, for so long. It is a golden opportunity and the envy of the world. However, that message is not getting across. Mention was made of the need to depoliticise this aspect or to denude the political connotations in this regard. The political classes stand indicted because people's livelihoods are not being fully enhanced for the betterment of society. I am not saying that politics has failed, but it is failing.

Are the witnesses satisfied businesses are stepping up, slightly outside their safe remit, to become the great communicators of our decade and the great convincers? Business works on being psychologically upbeat and uplifting the story. It is difficult to understand at times, although I do get that when the discourse of politics, and narrow-minded politics in particular, takes over, people can feel there is a constitutional threat facing them, despite what is enshrined in and protected by the Good Friday Agreement. They are entitled to their opinion, but that false truth should not be allowed to win out.

Does the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce have a strategy and policy to help get the truth out about the benefits and advantages that exist and to do so in a non-controversial way?

The second issue is the proposed Celtic crossing in the form of a bridge across the Irish Sea. I raise it because the British Prime Minister referred to it this year and indicated he was doing a scoping exercise. It was not April Fool's Day but a month beforehand. It has been called "a budget-busting fantasy tunnel", but the idea has not gone away. It has been spoken about for decades and the current Prime Minister obviously has a very open mind about it. Is the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce feeding into that scoping exercise to assist it? It would be a truly remarkable piece of infrastructure. It would also be culturally enriching and, as the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. A bridge crossing could also assure members of the Unionist community in future if they felt cut adrift in that they would be closer to their beloved mainland. The two islands working together is an exciting proposition. Has this proposal been considered or is it to be taken with a pinch of salt? I am hoping the witnesses will tell me everything is possible. The Prime Minister of Britain is saying it is possible. Can we help or nudge the issue along?