Mr. Mickey Brady:

I thank the shared island unit for its presentation and commend the witnesses on the work they have done to date. I was very glad to hear them mention the astronomical sites. I visited Armagh Observatory and Planetarium last week, and it does wonderful work.

I have a couple of questions. Business organisations, North and South, have presented their views to the committee over the past year. Many have mentioned that joint planning by the Government and the Executive in the North in the context of an all-island economy is important. Have the witnesses considered carrying out research into how this might be achieved? Would such a planning body be best placed under the remit of the North-South Ministerial Council?