Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, even though the time allocated is extremely limited. I am disappointed the Bill is being dealt with so late in the evening and that the time allocated to it must be curtailed. Previous speakers stated it is not an important Bill. However, in the scheme of my life and in the context of my constituency, it is most significant legislation, short and technical though it may be.

When one takes the first letter from each of the words "British", "Irish" and "Agreement" and puts them together, one is left with the word "bia", which translates into English as "food". The food to which I refer is the food of nourishment, of nurturing, of peace, of infrastructure, of co-operation, of development and of what the north west deserves. It has been denied to the area for too many years, possibly for as many as I have been on this earth. I welcome anything that includes the development of further co-operation and that moves the peace process forward. I call on those who are involved at any level or who in any way represent an impediment to my region obtaining the development it deserves, to cease what they are doing and deliver the peace the people of the area deserve.

This new programme includes an element that was not there before in respect of parts of Scotland. The latter will now have an interaction with Donegal and Northern Ireland that it did not previously enjoy. Scotland's potential in this regard is being assisted by people in my area. The Leader company in my constituency worked hard, in co-operation with its partners in Northern Ireland, to ensure the west of Scotland would be included in this programme in the context of INTERREG funding. I commend Dennis Canavan, a former MP who is now a Member of the Scottish Parliament, for the significant work he did to ensure, through his committee, that this matter was progressed. I also commend the people we met from the various Departments who assisted us when we brought IRDL and Dennis Canavan and his Scottish counterparts to meetings here in order to press our case.

Scotland is important to me for a number of reasons, one of which relates to the fishing industry. Like Scotland, Ireland is permitted to control its coastal waters to a limit of 12 miles. It is only a 30 mile journey from the part of Donegal in which I reside to Scotland. If we work together and co-operate to have programmes put in place, we could engage in joint management of fisheries in the area. This would have important implications, particularly in the context of good management leading to better preservation of stocks and better potential gains for fishermen. That is only one of the many opportunities people perceive in the context of new INTERREG funding.

I had dinner recently with George Reid from the Scottish Parliament. We discussed simple matters in the context of peace and reconciliation, such as encouraging people from Donegal who are involved in Irish traditional music and fiddlers from the North to travel to Scotland to play with the Scottish fiddler orchestra and engage in workshops and exchanges. A simple part of peace and reconciliation is encouraging people to understand each other. Many people from Donegal emigrated to Scotland and much of the heritage of both has been mutually influenced. Ulster also played its part in this regard.

A significant amount of North-South community work has been carried out in the area I represent. The region has engaged in North-South politics for over 30 years and in the recent past we have explored North-South economics following the growth of Border villages into towns. We see no difficulties in respect of North-South co-operation, although in the area I represent, which is located further north than many parts of Northern Ireland, it is more North-North co-operation. Our only problem is that this co-operation has not translated into the senior level of politics. When it does so, it will yield results. I refer, for example, to what happened in the case of the North-West Region Cross Border Group. In that context, I was able to help, with the assistance of the then Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, to deliver the Foyle cross-Border ferry. The latter has served 1 million customers in less than three years, which shows the potential economic gains to be made.

The gateway initiative must deliver in terms of consultation, co-operation and action. The Minister of State said that since the suspension of the institutions in 2002, the North-South Ministerial Council has not been able to meet and the bodies do not have the full powers they should possess. Donegal has been impacted upon as a result of that development.

The Minister of State also referred to the Loughs Agency as developing and delivering cross-Border co-operation. I wish to flag that legislation is planned in respect of this matter. We have waited a long time for proper management, resourcing and legislative support in respect of the Foyle. I would be concerned by legislation that did not embrace proper opportunities to manage and look after the lough that has survived without legislation. Let us hasten slowly, particularly if we are not going to address the issue in a comprehensive manner. I am aware that I will have further opportunities to discuss this matter. However, I wish to flag that there is an issue which, as a matter or urgency, must be addressed.

Waterways Ireland is working well and I am glad that lines on the map have been accepted by all communities in respect of linking Coleraine, Dublin, Waterford and Limerick. The Minister of State intimated that these lines will be included on the map in the next national development plan. I do not know whether it was because of political sensitivity or otherwise that such lines could not previously be presented. In my opinion, there is no reason there cannot be co-operation, similar to which took place between Dublin and Belfast, in respect of delivering motorways on particular routes, such as the N2-A5 road and others in the north-west region. I will be seeking to ensure that those practical issues to which the Minister of State referred form part of the solution to be reached in the context of the national development plan.

There should be no pandering to anyone who states that all-Ireland co-operation is a problem. Such co-operation represents a win-win scenario for everyone, particularly in the development of infrastructure. As I personally stated to Peter Robinson many years ago, I must pass through various counties on the rest of the island to travel to Dublin. I, therefore, wish to see roads improved for my benefit. However, it also benefits many other counties along the way. Practical issues must be resolved. We must reach the stage where all politics are local.

Deputy O'Sullivan mentioned the massive opportunities in education but we are stymieing and stifling them because of third level fees. The two major parties in the Six Counties have stated they would not have such fees. I want to see their manifestoes implemented, since students from County Donegal who formerly chose to go to the North are being forced either to forgo their education or travel south. This puts more pressure on the Southern university system and undermines the wonderful system in the North, an interest in which I declare, having attended college in Jordanstown for seven years. It also undermines the potential to gain professional qualifications locally and remain at home. This negative spiral must be addressed. Regarding all-Ireland co-operation on education, one of the core elements is third level fees. Other issues include such matters as water rates.

It was interesting to hear Jeffrey Donaldson call on Sinn Féin to hold its Ard-Fheis. I had not realised that his Gaelic had improved so much and, as chair of the relevant committee in the Houses of the Oireachtas, look forward to recognition and promotion of the Irish language in the North in order that it will stand on a par with English, in the same way as the Official Languages Act 2003 has developed the language in the Republic. I do not consider this especially contentious. On occasion people have tried to politicise the language, the flag and everything else, but many on a cross-Border, cross-community and pluralist basis are very interested in the Irish language.

My main concern is to ensure money will be spent to make things happen, for example, in Muff where the Coney Road and Cannings Lane, an unopened cross-Border road, are situated. The gas supply that was to have continued from Belfast to County Donegal but stopped in Derry should continue its journey, given the Minister's talk of east-west links. We have spent large amounts of European funds on capital projects. I would like to see this turned into social capital and that social capital mainstreamed in order that such provision might continue.

The two Governments have identified co-operation in the planning and delivery of infrastructure as key to maximising returns on the major investments being made North and South. The all-Ireland dimension must be realised. The important horizontal themes of the Government's next development plan for the period 2007 to 2013 must deliver for the north west. I am selfish and parochial. My constituency and county have suffered unduly in recent years, something that we wish to see rectified. Anyone who can help in that regard and take an all-Ireland approach to the important issues is more than welcome.

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