Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the policies his Department has formulated to help rural regions diversifying their economic development strategies in view of his commitment to this process; his plans to ensure that his Department optimises such strategies through the NSMC and the operations of Enterprise Ireland and InterTrade Ireland; and if he has given consideration to the potential benefits going forward of a shared development strategy between the relevant economic development agencies North and South. [6174/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there has been serious consideration within Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and InterTrade Ireland of the problems of industrial development for indigenous enterprise in the regions outside of Dublin; if there has been any cross-Border discussion between the Irish development agencies and Invest Northern Ireland on the potential for developing an integrated approach in the north west to harness the potential for economic development, especially in the context of optimising the potential of new economy enterprise; and if he will provide the details of any such plans or meetings. [6173/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 73 together.

I assure the Deputies that the Government, along with the State development agencies, is committed to balanced regional development, particularly through the implementation of the national spatial strategy and the Government's decentralisation programme. The State development agencies will continue to work together to attract investment and foster job creation in all regions, including the Border region and the north west.

Regarding the work of IDA, the board of IDA and the board of Invest Northern Ireland hold an annual joint board meeting to discuss enterprise development strategies, opportunities for collaboration and other topics of mutual interest. One important outcome of those high-level board meetings is a commitment to establish a cross-Border virtual business park centred on Letterkenny and Derry. IDA also attends meetings of the inter-agency planning managers' group involving Enterprise Ireland, InterTrade Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. Those meetings are a further opportunity for discussion of common issues and exchange of information.

Enterprise Ireland seeks to encourage a balanced spread of regional development throughout all parts of Ireland. In that regard, Enterprise Ireland's policy objectives for balanced regional development are reflected in the structure of its grant-aid rates. In addition to the funding that it provides directly to clients in the form of equity investments and grants, Enterprise Ireland leverages the venture capital community to invest in early stage companies throughout the country.

Enterprise Ireland and InterTrade Ireland liaise frequently on matters of mutual concern and continue to explore areas for fruitful co-operation. The areas of mutual activity currently include stimulating cross-Border trade, through the Acumen programme, knowledge and technology transfer between academia and industry, through the Fusion programme, and benchmarking, through the Irish Benchmarking Forum, as well as sectoral studies and the development of the equity markets on the island.

In the case of Invest Northern Ireland, Enterprise Ireland works with its counterpart across a range of activities. Following a meeting between the chief executives of Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland, together with their senior management teams, a meeting of the boards of Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland was held in Dundalk during November 2004 to discuss their respective strategies, and further meetings are envisaged. The student enterprise awards are jointly sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Ulster Bank. Other areas of co-operation include sectoral studies and exchanges of experience at a senior level on the development of innovation.

Regarding the work of InterTrade Ireland, the all-island trade and business development body, it should be noted that InterTrade Ireland does not have a specific regional or sub-regional aspect to its programmes, all of which are all-island in nature and all of which are equally open to businesses from across the island. Under its corporate plan for the period 2005 to 2007, InterTrade Ireland is committed to enhancing the global competitiveness of the island economy to the mutual benefit of both parts of the island, through measures such as the creation of all-island business networks and the implementation of all-island trade and business development programmes. That strategic aim is consistent with recent statements on enterprise strategy both in this State and in Northern Ireland, which emphasise the importance of global competitiveness, innovation, knowledge and value-enhancing collaborative networks. InterTrade Ireland's new corporate plan specifically identifies the importance of collaboration between it and the other economic development agencies on this island. The body's commitment to this form of collaboration is clearly evidenced by the composition of the steering committees of its major programmes, which include representation from agencies North and South and also by the level of consultation which takes place both formally and informally between the agencies on an ongoing basis.

With regard to a possible shared strategy between economic development agencies North and South, it is the case that the recent enterprise strategy group's report has identified a role for North-South co-operation in infrastructure investment and in providing supports to enterprise. The report recognises the potential for collaboration at a business network level and recommends the development of all-island business networks where complementary strengths are identified. I will take into account any opportunities to advance North-South co-operation, for mutual benefit, in the future implementation of the enterprise strategy group's recommendations that relate to my Department.

The Deputy will be aware that the North-South Ministerial Council has been unable to meet since October 2002, due to the ongoing suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Deputy will also be aware that, following the introduction of suspension, the Irish and British Governments agreed that decisions of the North-South Ministerial Council on policies and actions relating to the North-South Implementation Bodies or their respective functions would be taken by the two Governments and that no new functions would be conferred on the bodies while the Assembly remained suspended. Those arrangements were designed to ensure that the bodies would continue to fulfil their important public functions on a "care and maintenance" basis, pending the restoration of devolved government to Northern Ireland.