Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Of course. It was called Moffets. The chief person, Mr. McVicar, became the chief engineer for the original firm at 20 years of age. The company now sells heavy machinery on a global scale and is able to compete and manufacture it. That is the kind of thing we need.

In respect of the barracks in Monaghan, an issue in which Deputy Martin's Government was directly involved, the sale of the barracks has resulted in a new education entity being established. There is a gaelcholáiste and a college for third level education which is already making arrangements for apprenticeships to deal with the major engineering firm in terms of the North and South.

IntertradeIreland chairs the Horizon 2020 steering group of agencies North and South. It holds out an ambitious target of about €175 million for North-South projects from the EU research and innovation fund. I hope that becomes a reality. It is also true to say that the initiative taken by President Juncker of the Commission allows us to consider what might be an appropriate project or project scales eligible for consideration under that fund which would have an impact on the infrastructure and economics of the country.

In terms of the Environmental Protection Agency and the environment, there is a great deal of co-operation. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is working with its Northern equivalent to develop new projects, such as how used tyres can be restructured to prevent environmental damage. There is also North-South collaboration on the river basin management plan which is important for inland fisheries, clean water and so on. That comes under the EU water framework directive.

Education is a sector of great promise. Joint work is being undertaken by the two education departments and the Middletown Centre for Autism to expand the centre's range of services, which is important. The centre hosted a two day international conference in January this year, involving leading international experts who gave great guidance on how best to get education outcomes for children and young people with autism. Education Departments North and South are working on measures to tackle educational under-achievement, which Deputy Martin mentioned, and literacy, numeracy, collaboration on a range of other issues, co-operation between inspectorates and recognition of teacher qualifications. Such things are important.

As we know, the radiotherapy unit in Altnagelvin is of great assistance North and South. There is a new hospital in Enniskillen which is open and will be able to deal with medical cases from the South and across the north west. There are a number of important areas involving co-operation in terms of abuse of and access to drink and the price of drink. Minimum unit pricing is a matter of co-operation between the two jurisdictions and will be introduced on the same day across the country.

The Deputy mentioned a number of other areas, including the new children's hospital. It will cater for the island of Ireland and the children of Ireland. It is to be hoped that the process, which is now in train, in terms of the lodging of planning permission and assessment, will come to fruition. It can be of great assistance.

This morning, on a recommendation from the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Government approved a recommendation from Waterways Ireland to allocate €2 million from its resources to address a 2.5 km section of the Ulster Canal. It is a stand-alone project which will demonstrate further evidence of great co-operation. I understand a further 11 km are due for assessment after that.

I take the Deputy's point on the report produced by the British-Irish Parliamentary Association. I spoke to it yesterday morning in the Seanad and commended Senator Coghlan and all of those who attended and served on the committee. It is fair to say that there has been great deal of engagement with persons involved in criminal activities in regard to fuel laundering, smuggling illicit cigarettes and other areas. It has been quite successful. The committee was very concerned about the scale of what it saw.

The question is what is the best thing to do. Is it to enhance the existing services where there is great co-operation between customs, the Garda, the PSNI and the industries involved? It is a scandal that somebody who pulls into a filling station and pays for fuel on the assumption that it is of the highest standard then finds that the car's engine has been destroyed a short time later. The answer to the Deputy's question is that we will consider the report very carefully. It is a joint report from elected representatives from the North, South and Britain. That is the least it deserves. We will be very happy to follow through on that. They are the main points the Deputy raised.

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