Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Given my recent change of portfolio, I have not yet had the opportunity to arrange a face-to-face meeting with my Northern Ireland counterpart, Arlene Foster, MLA. However, I have spoken to her by telephone three times over the past several weeks on Quinn Insurance and the impact of redundancies on the company and the local economy. We discussed the possibility of preparing a joint proposal to apply for European Union funding under the cross-Border INTERREG programme for training initiatives and start-up business supports. Work on this joint proposal is now being progressed at official level. We also discussed how our officials could work together in other areas.

The inter-agency response team, which I established under the chairmanship of Mr. Dan Flinter, will work with Mr. Leslie Ross, who has been tasked with chairing a similar response team established by the Northern Ireland authorities. I also spoke with Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning, about the specific issues arising from the Quinn Insurance announcement. I will keep in regular contact with my counterparts on this particular issue.

On the broader issue of co-operation, I will meet the Minister, Ms Foster, MLA, at the next North South Ministerial Council meeting in June. The Deputy will be aware that under the British-Irish Agreements there is already a wide range of cross-Border activities aimed at economic development. These arrangements are augmented by co-operation on a less formal basis, which has been taking place between Departments and Agencies North and South for many years. These arrangements cover matters such as enterprise and business development, labour market and skills, trade, tourism and investment promotion and science, and technology and innovation.

I refer to examples of these activities. InterTrade Ireland, co-funded by my Department and its counterpart in Northern Ireland, was specifically established to support cross-Border activities across a range of activities including innovation, enterprise development, networking and policy development. Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland collaborate on an all-island innovation vouchers scheme and on trade missions abroad. IDA and Invest Northern Ireland co-operate in Donegal and Derry in the North West Now collaboration. The IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council carries out an extensive North-South work programme. Ongoing co-operation between Governments on both sides of the Border, together with the work of the agencies on the ground will continue to support economic development and investment in the Border region.

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