Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have had difficulty over the years in attracting foreign direct investment to the Border region. One of the key ingredients in ensuring we were not successful was the fact of the Troubles on our doorstep for many decades. Thankfully, since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 there has been a huge growth in trade between the North and South and a huge growth in companies expanding both North and South. The sectors about which I am concerned in particular are the agrifood, engineering and construction products sectors. Many of them, thankfully, have developed on an all-Ireland basis. They might have started in Cavan and Monaghan but they expanded and grew north of the Border. Similarly, some companies that were established in the Six Counties have expanded their sites and processing facilities south of the Border. In the context of dealing with the challenges of Brexit it is most regrettable that there is no Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly. There is a huge and urgent need to have the authorities in this State and in the North working together with regard to whatever programmes of assistance are put in place.

We have to ensure co-operation and that such assistance is made available to companies that have a presence on both sides of the Border, even if it is for work or activities they carry out north of the Border. A border cannot be introduced for truly all-Ireland companies. If the Department or one of the industrial promotion agencies has a programme of assistance available, I urge the Tánaiste to make it available to companies that are sited north of the Border but have a presence on this side of the Border.

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