Vol. 512 No. 7
92 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has satisfied himself that cross-Border bodies being established as a result of the Good Friday Agreement should be based in the Border region where most of the pain and suffering, loss of jobs and income took place over the past thirty years; the reason Cork city has been chosen as the first base for such a body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27306/99]
As the Deputy will be aware, decisions on the locations of the six new implementation bodies and the new tourism company were taken jointly with our Northern ministerial colleagues at the inaugural plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh on Monday 13 December.
In coming to these decisions, we took a range of factors into account, including particular requirements stemming from the nature and activities of the bodies and the location of existing staff already carrying out some of those functions. We also attached importance to achieving an appropriate overall balance between North and South, and to reflecting the all-island, and not simply cross-Border, nature of the bodies.
There were, of course, many potentially suitable locations in both jurisdictions, and I am glad that a number of offices will be located in the Border region, including the regional office of the Special EU Programmes Body in Monaghan, the regional office of the Ullans Agency in Donegal, and a regional office of Waterways Ireland in Leitrim. Other offices are located close to the Border on the Northern side – for example, in Newry, the Trade and Business Development Body, and in Enniskillen, Waterways Ireland.
Bearing in mind the range of factors outlined above, and given its particular concentration of expertise in the field of food science, it was felt that Cork was an appropriate location for the Food Safety Promotion Board. Overall, of course, I fully recognise the special economic features and needs of the Border region. These are continuing to be addressed through the EU's PEACE and INTERREG initiatives and the work of the International Fund for Ireland. In addition, I have no doubt that the border region will benefit substantially from the enhanced co-operation and common action on the island which will be carried forward by the North-South Ministerial Council.
