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

I warmly welcome the Minister's response and the sentiments expressed in her reply. She referred to the all-Ireland economy. It was so disappointing to see in the British Government's command paper the negative comments about the all-Ireland economy. That economy is growing and is being strengthened, thankfully.

I thank the Minister sincerely for her support in getting major funding for the flagship project for the Shannon Pot and Cavan Burren Park interpretive centre. We are well advanced with that project and it will proceed to construction within the next few months. It is a €7 million project. The Minister's assistance in promoting it and ensuring substantial funding was provided is very much appreciated in the upper Shannon region, not just in Cavan and Fermanagh but also further afield. It is the flagship project that will be so beneficial to Cavan, Fermanagh and the upper Shannon region in general. It is in the heart of the UNESCO Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark. It is a genuine cross-Border project that shows the importance of developing the tourism industry on an all-Ireland basis. Years ago, when I was a member of the Government here and Arlene Foster was a member of the Northern Ireland Executive, we played a key role in getting the UNESCO geopark approved and putting the necessary funding in place to develop it. We look forward to further developments under the Minister, working with her counterparts in Northern Ireland through the North–South Ministerial Council.

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