Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs and the amount of investment achieved by cross border agencies and through cross border enterprise initiatives in the past two years. [9041/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has shared responsibility for the one cross border body with responsibility for enterprise development, InterTradeIreland which is one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies established under the ‘Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Its remit includes work on trade, business development and related matters. The body is based in Newry and is jointly funded in a 2:1 ratio, respectively, by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland.

Over the past 2 years InterTradeIreland programmes have helped create 1,012 jobs and generated a business value of €224m in terms of additional sales, efficiency gains and investments made. IntertradeIreland currently support approximately 246 companies across a range of programmes.

A range of other cross-border enterprise support activities have also been undertaken by the main Development Agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. For example Enterprise Ireland has co-financed a business development programme operated by InterTradeIreland to stimulate cross-border sales, EI client companies participate on this programme. In addition, EI’s Innovation Voucher fund has now a cross border aspect, with Irish companies able to access Northern Ireland knowledge providers and Northern Ireland companies able to access knowledge providers based in the South.

Enterprise Ireland also works closely with their counterpart organisation, Invest Northern Ireland on a range of initiatives to benefit enterprise development in the border region. In relation to the National Support Structure for the EU’s Framework Programme 7, work has been on-going to facilitate more targeted cooperation on an all-Ireland basis. To date, under this initiative, there have been 137 successful applicants (54 North and 83 south) securing funding of over €40m for 50 proposals (€10m in Northern Ireland and €30m in the South).

In relation to IDA Ireland, that Agency has participated in the North West Cross Border Gateway Initiative. IDA and Invest Northern Ireland have jointly worked on an initiative to capitalise on the combined strengths of Letterkenny and Derry City as an economic corridor. The focus has been on developing compatible infrastructure and property solutions, which are now in place, and therefore make the Region more attractive for investment.

IDA is committed to a direct investment of €15.2 million to the North West NOW project. The overall project has resulted in enhanced provision of property in Letterkenny, the construction of the town’s Outer Relief Road and improvements in Telecoms infrastructure.

In addition IDA and Invest Northern Ireland cooperated on the development of Project Kelvin which is the first direct International Communications link of its kind into the North West of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It provides the North West with faster response times at lower cost for high capacity broadband, thereby making the Region a more cost-effective base for international business.