Mr. Fergal O'Brien:

Everyone is very interested. We have met with various people in Northern Ireland. Everyone sees the benefit this model will bring because it seeks to address quite a significant gap in the understanding and analysis of the all-island economy, so we are getting a positive response to it.

The workshops I have mentioned will be somewhat technical in nature initially, for example explaining what a macroeconomic model of this type will do. We have not decided where exactly we will hold them, but we will have some in Northern Ireland and some in Dublin. It will be a discussion and engagement process with people. We will try to get their feedback on what the opportunities associated with this will be. Whoever will work with the ESRI in the future will have access to this model. It will not be owned by IBEC. This is something the ESRI will work on with other people who want to look at the impact of policy measures on the all-island economy. For that reason we think it will make a very significant contribution to public policy, to our understanding of the all-island economy and its interrelated nature with the wider UK, and to Northern Ireland itself.

I will say a few words on energy. We clearly have gone through a challenging period in terms of energy security issues across the island. We continue to believe the North-South interconnector is crucial to embedding greater energy security across the island. The last time we were at this committee, we said that we believe the single electricity market is one of the most significant concrete legacy effects of the peace process, apart from all of the wider benefits of peace. It is one of the very specific deliverables from peace and from the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. We are very committed to the single electricity market and want to see it strengthened. We want to see it embedded. The delivery of the further infrastructure in terms of the North-South interconnector is absolutely crucial to making sure that happens.

I know Mr. D'Arcy will probably add to what I have said, but I have a final comment on the labour market. We see an incredible opportunity in terms of how the world of work is changing because of hybrid and remote work. People no longer need to be within a commute time of 30, 60 or 90 minutes. Labour on the island is significant in terms of having a reasonable access to physical presence in an office once per week or whatever it is.

There is an opportunity for all of the regions of Northern Ireland. The Senator mentioned mid-Ulster. The opportunity across the island for future employment opportunities in Northern Ireland will be equally significant, but right now the labour market model is not functioning. The tax and social welfare systems are a significant challenge. There is a major lost opportunity in that regard. The world of work is moving at a pace, and the administrative systems, particularly on the island, are not keeping pace.

We are working with the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach to do a particular piece of research on those all-island labour market challenges, but we would ask the support of the committee to advance the solutions. We have put forward solutions in the past, particularly in relation to taxation measures.