Ms Carol Margey:

I thank the Chairman and the committee members for inviting us to attend today. We look forward to discussing these issues with members and building on the valuable communication we have had to date with the committee.

Our representatives are Councillor Paul Canning from Donegal County Council who is the chairman, Councillor Hugh Hastings from Derry City Council and I am the manager of the group.

The group currently represents the five council areas of Derry City Council, Donegal County Council, Strabane District Council, Limavady Borough Council and Magherafelt District Council, although this representation will change with the restructuring in the North. These councils represent a population of approximately 400,000 people. Our largest urban areas are Derry-Londonderry, Limavady, Strabane, Magherafelt and Letterkenny. The group has a mission to promote cross-Border economic development which benefits all the people of the cross-Border region.

The group was established in 1976 and the board consists of 22 elected members and is cross-party and cross-Border. We are currently delivering €22 million in INTERREG IVA-funded projects.