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

The forthcoming anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is a good time to reflect on the great benefits our country has derived from that agreement, which include the cessation of violence, the saving of lives, the development of the all-Ireland economy and its generation of a new business environment and a surge in cross-Border trade resulting in new employment opportunities. The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement recently held a discussion on the benefits that have arisen for all of our country as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. One issue that arose was the need to establish an all-Ireland labour market. Perhaps the social dialogue could involve informal linkages with our representative organisations' counterparts in Northern Ireland, allowing us to initiate an all-Ireland labour market. There are shortages in places and there are still people looking for employment. Benefits can accrue from marrying the needs of the economies North and South and developing such a market on an all-Ireland basis.

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