Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 577: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the Hain-Ahern bilateral agreement on the all-island economy is purely aspirational, in view of the fundamental differences between northern and southern fiscal strategies, and the difference between the packages offered to investors by Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29339/09]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 578: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the work which has been carried out to implement the Hain-Ahern bilateral agreement on the all island economy since his appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29340/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 and 578 together.

The Comprehensive Study on the All-Island Economy, launched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in October 2006, provided a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and challenges in strengthening North/South economic cooperation. Designed to provide momentum for a new phase of cross-border collaboration, the Study explored in detail the benefits to be gained from a coordinated approach in key areas of investment, trade, planning and the provision of public services, including in the North-West.

Since the launch of the Study, work has progressed in all of these areas. The historic roads investment package agreed in 2007 will see the Government contribute £400 million/€580 million to upgrading infrastructural connections on the island. The North/South Ministerial Council Plenary, meeting in Farmleigh this week, welcomed a first Government contribution of €9 million towards the A5 road to Derry and Letterkenny and the A8 road from Belfast to Larne. A preferred route for the A5 road will be announced shortly.

The joint planning integral to this investment will be further enhanced by the planned launch of a spatial planning framework for the island and also one specific to the North-West. The Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are also contributing significant amounts to cross-border research and innovation. Research grants from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) are now available on an all-island basis and cooperation has been deepened under the US/Ireland R&D Partnership. A joint steering group has been established for all-island projects under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). A first All-Island Skills Conference took place in October 2008, while the operating environment for business on the island is set to be dramatically enhanced by Project Kelvin, which will bring faster and cheaper broadband communication to the North-West and surrounding areas. GP and cancer services are now available on a cross-border basis for patients in certain border areas and joint efforts to examine where further economies of scale can be achieved in the health and education sectors are expected to be progressed in the coming months.

This is a significant body of work and points clearly to the seriousness with which the Comprehensive Study has been taken forward by Departments North and South. It is worth noting, in addition, that implementation of the Study's findings has led to much closer cooperation between economic agencies in both parts of the island. Invest NI client companies now frequently take part in Enterprise Ireland trade missions overseas. Invest NI and the IDA have also collaborated on a joint investment product ("North West Now") aimed at attracting foreign direct investment to Derry and Donegal. This builds on the success of the North-West Business and Technology Zone, which, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I launched with Minister Dodds in September 2007.

I was also pleased that one of my first tasks as Minister for Foreign Affairs was to join the Taoiseach in participating in the Northern Ireland Investment Conference in May 2008, which had a strong all-island dimension. We look forward, over the period ahead, to continuing our examination of where our cooperation can be deepened in promoting the island as a world-class destination for cutting-edge research and innovation.