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

Thankfully, the all-Ireland economy has developed very strongly since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998. Businesses have developed on a cross-Border basis; trade has strengthened North-South and east-west; and enterprises have developed on an all-Ireland basis as well. It is very important that in planning for further expansion of the all-Ireland economy, we are mindful of the areas both North and South which have not developed to the extent that the east coast has, and particularly the Dublin-Belfast corridor. I am speaking of my own two counties Cavan and Monaghan, and our neighbouring counties of Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh. Those particular counties are very strong in farming and agrifood, engineering and construction products and thankfully we have a growing tourism business as well. There is a lot of ill-informed commentary about research and planning for this country in whatever governance parameters is decided in the future. Very valuable work has been undertaken with the shared island unit and the ESRI, by NESC, and with some of our universities and institutes of technology as well. It is very important that planning for the future is done on the basis of qualitative and quantitative research. One particular project I would like to see NESC undertaking is a particular study on the challenges that face-----

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