Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 23 May 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement

All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed)

Ms Michelle Gildernew:

I should be canvassing as well but this has been a very useful and informative discussion.

I want to come back to Professor McGuinness's last point but I was going to ask him a question before he made it. The Northern economy is not in a strong position now. The economy in the South is in a better position. What measures need to be taken to ensure that both economies are strong enough to transition to a united Ireland economy? Will a united Ireland economy be strong enough to absorb the loss of the financial subvention from Britain?

Coming back to the point Professor McGuinness finished on, that macroeconomic deep-dive and forensic look at the economy in Ireland, I do not want to second-guess him or put words in his mouth but should the Dublin Government now be commissioning that work to make sure that we are in a position whereby we are not coming back to this same conversation in a year or two's time? What needs to happen now to help that transition?

I thank Professor McGuinness for his contribution today. Unfortunately, it will not get the kind of saturation the IIEA report got when it came out, but this has been extremely useful. I thank all of witnesses for being here today.

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