Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the practical steps taken by him over the past year to reduce the enterprise impediments of the border and to develop an all Ireland approach to economic development and job creation; if he will provide the quantitative details of each initiative and his plans in this regard in the next 12 months. [20889/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Arising from our commitments under the Good Friday Agreement, my Department and its agencies play a strong role in promoting the development of the all-island economy through involvement in cross-border enterprise initiatives, which have resulted in benefits to both parts of the island. A key development has been the establishment of InterTrade Ireland (ITI), one of the North/South Implementation Bodies, established under the Good Friday Agreement. This Agency is jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland with a budget of approx. €10m.

The Agency operates a wide range of Trade and Innovation and business support programmes, partnerships and networks.

In summary, the following overall achievements have been recorded by ITI to date -

19,000SMEs have benefited from its cross-border information activities,2,400 have taken part in their all-island programmes, £600 million worth of trade and business development has been generated, 1,300new jobs have been created.

Last year alone, almost 3,000 companies used its services. The Agency has a range of performance targets in its Business Plan.

In addition, close co-operation has been established in particular between Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland. Since 2006, clients of both agencies can access market services, trade missions, overseas offices, trade fairs, seminars, market development programmes etc., provided by each agencies.

An example of close agency cooperation is the Acumen Programme, a key all-island business development programme managed by InterTradeIreland and supported by Enterprise Ireland, Invest NI, FAS, Udaras, and the County Enterprise Boards. The Programme is designed to stimulate cross-border sales and coordinate development amongst SMEs, North and South, to establish and build market presence in the other jurisdiction. This is an excellent example of all relevant bodies coming together to drive enterprise development in the region.

My Department, along with the enterprise development agencies, will continue to work diligently with our Northern Ireland counterparts and their agencies to increase the economic benefits accruing from cross-border co-operation, as well as through the work of the North South Bodies, and the North South Ministerial Trade and Business Development Council.

I am satisfied that there is strong ongoing cooperation between the enterprise development agencies, North and South, which makes a valuable and tangible contribution to the cross-border region.