Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps taken to jointly market produce and products on an all-Ireland basis. [24456/13]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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14. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will identify additional measures that would promote all Ireland trade and marketing of Irish produce and products. [24457/13]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps taken to reduce the costs to business associated with border and all Ireland trade. [24458/13]

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 14 and 16 together.

While there is obviously limited scope for the State to be involved in the promotion of products generally, whether on an all-Ireland basis or not, and there are significant EU constraints on giving favourable treatment towards Irish produce, nevertheless the Government is very conscious of the additional difficulties facing companies in the Border region and also of the desirability of encouraging firms to expand their focus to pursue opportunities on an all-island basis. It is vital that we achieve improved competitiveness for such firms, which have faced additional challenges in the past.

The key mechanism to drive this agenda is the work of the cross-Border bodyInterTradeIreland, one of the six North-South implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. InterTradeIreland's remit includes work on trade, business development and related matters. As many issues affect a company's decision to engage in cross-Border trading, the work of InterTradeIreland is designed to help eliminate barriers, encouraging firms to test-bed trading with the other jurisdiction on the island which, ultimately, may lead to these firms engaging in exporting to overseas markets.

InterTradeIreland's range of programmes to assist this process includes practical supports to businesses such as a first stop shopwhich provides companies with information on what they need to know about doing cross-Border business. This includes the provision of a practical guide and also providing trade accelerator voucherswhich offer companies financial support worth £1,000 or €1,200 towards professional advice in areas such as taxation, employment law, currency, sales, marketing or regulation. The voucher allows a company to redeem the cost of practical advice. In addition, InterTradeIreland provides extensive business, market and industry sector information.

Other relevant programmes operated by InterTradeIreland include Acumen, which stimulates cross-Border trade by assisting SMEs with tailored consultancy and salary support mechanisms for market builders across the island, and Innova, which is aimed at stimulating, promoting and supporting research and development co-operation between firms North and South, with the support of public research organisations where required. Participation in any of InterTradeIreland'sinitiatives can help improve a company's overall competitiveness. The effectiveness of InterTradeIreland'sprogrammesis borne out by the fact that over the past two years these programmes have helped create 1,012 jobs and have generated a business value of €224 million in terms of additional sales, efficiency gains and investments made.

In addition to the work of InterTradeIreland, Enterprise Ireland works closely with its counterpart organisation, Invest Northern Ireland,on a range of initiatives to benefit enterprise development in the Border region. These include activities such as Bridging the Border seminars and partnering events, which are designed to promote joint opportunities between firms North and South in areas such as licensing and commercial agreements, subcontracting, technical co-operation and business partnerships. Clients of Invest Northern Ireland can participate on Enterprise Ireland programmes such as Leadership4Growth and the International Selling programme. Clients of both agencies can access market services, trade fairs, seminars and market development programmes provided by each agency. My Department will continue to work with InterTradeIreland and the other enterprise agencies on developing appropriate supports that encourage cross-Border trade.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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If I had asked this question 12 years ago, I probably would have received the same reply. That is the level of development that has taken place in the last 12 years. InterTradeIreland is an output of the Good Friday Agreement and the negotiations in which my party was involved. I worked for it indirectly 14 years ago. Everything in that reply regarding InterTradeIreland has had no input from this Government. There has been no increase in the number of people working for InterTradeIreland. There is a cap on its staffing level so its ability to grow to the needs of the Irish economy is stifled.

There has been a fall in North-South trade in the last number of years. The Border region is suffering more than most in this economic downturn. What advance has the Government made with regard to an all-Ireland fuel price? For people who are competing with each other on both sides of the Border where is the level playing field in respect of an all-Ireland VAT rate? Why is it that the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland have offices all around the world and sometimes in the same cities? When will the Government use the resources on this island in an efficient manner to promote enterprise on this island? With regard to farming, does a lamb from Louth taste any different to a lamb from Armagh? The Irish product is seen as an Irish product internationally and until we start to use the efficiencies of the all-Ireland economy we will not be able to create the jobs that could be created in such an economy.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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InterTradeIreland was set up develop trade within Ireland and to address the disadvantaged areas of cross-Border trade. Obviously, there is a very good working relationship with the Northern Ireland Minister, Ms Arlene Foster MLA, and with all relevant Ministers. I have been to InterTradeIreland. The body has been insulated from cutbacks, unlike other agencies in the State which have had cutbacks in staffing. The North-South body's objective is to encourage North-South business activity, which is what it is doing. InterTradeIreland currently supports 3,500 companies in the area of technology transfer. It also supports marketing and developing export potential. A strong part of its expertise is the collaboration with Enterprise Ireland. There is great potential in the voucher scheme. Enterprise Ireland provides innovation vouchers and companies in both the North and South can avail of them.

There is also the potential of INTERREG, which is funded by my Department as well. It assists enterprise development and community regeneration. There is a group from Sligo and the North visiting the House today with regard to cross-Border co-operation and community economic regeneration. There is a fantastic opportunity for developing community enterprise.

I compliment InterTradeIreland for the outstanding job it does. The Minister, Deputy Bruton, and I have been there and we have met the Minister, Ms Arlene Foster MLA. There is a huge level of political co-operation and a great deal of activity at trade fairs. I attended the Seedcorn competition in Belfast a number of months ago. It is an outstanding success, with companies from the North and South participating jointly and doing business. That also happens at trade fairs.

I am not sure where the Deputy is getting his information. There is a great deal of activity taking place with InterTradeIreland.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Nobody is arguing about the benefits InterTradeIreland brings to the table. However, InterTradeIreland would continue to function in the same way today if the Minister of State or Fine Gael did not exist. What has the Minister of State brought to the table with regard to the development of all-Ireland trade? Throughout the Minister's reply there is no detail about new developments regarding all-Ireland integration and the development of the economy on an all-Ireland basis. There are great efficiencies we can use to promote our businesses internationally. The last Government conducted some trade missions internationally in which it allowed businesses from the North to get involved, and trade missions from the North included businesses from the South on international trade missions. There have been tentative steps but there appears to be a ceiling on that development and that ceiling has not been broken by this Government. If we wish to energise the region on both sides of the Border to maximise its potential for industry and job creation, we must start thinking not about what is already there and allowing it to continue as it is, but about breaking that ceiling and creating an all-Ireland economy.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The first thing to do is talk to the companies, and I have done that.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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I have worked for the companies.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy did so 15 years ago. I am talking about the companies that have come to the Mansion House.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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It was three years ago.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I met the companies and the business people. I know what they are doing; they are doing business. This Government has mobilised the State agencies to work in co-operation. They provide vouchers. The Deputy can shake his head, but that is a fact.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The innovation vouchers were there long before the Minister was appointed.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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They are available to both the North and the South. The best people are the business people themselves. Look at the opportunity-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister is from a Border constituency.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Yes, I know it well. I also am well aware of the INTERREG funding and it has been very effective in regenerating cross-Border communities. There is also the 2020 EU funding coming to the area. The Government will strongly support that.

The EIF, the representatives of which I met in the past two weeks, is considering developing a fund that would support cross-Border enterprise. There are opportunities. Mr. Hunter McGowan of InterTradeIreland is doing a fantastic job. I met the board of directors and the relevant companies. Most important, I met the businesspeople and the staff who are employed.

The 3,500 companies should be asked what is different now compared with the past. The Government is creating the environment to support jobs and talking to the relevant agencies. Enterprise Ireland does a fantastic job, as does Invest Northern Ireland. INTERREG personnel are working actively on the ground. The bodies are working in partnership with businesspeople and communities. The Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, has been having cross-Border meetings with the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in the North, Ms Foster, whom I met at a major launch a number of months ago. She is very much focused on the development of the body which is one of the most successful delivering on an all-island mandate to create and retain jobs and explore the potential for export on the part of high-potential start-up companies, which is very important. It is a question of exploring on a cross-Border basis the possibility of exporting to Europe and farther afield.

I suggest the Deputy read the Horizon 2020 document. The Government will be pursuing that agenda which will clearly benefit companies in the North and the South.