asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of times the steering committee of officials from North and South involved in cross-Border development met in 1984.
Written Answers. - Cross-Border Economic Co-operation.
13.
Officials of my Department maintain regular contact with officials from Northern Ireland and Britain who are concerned with cross-Border economic co-operation. A great deal of contact and co-operation also takes place between individual Departments North and South, although there is no steering committee as such in this particular field.
However, the Co-ordinating Committee of the Anglo-Irish Inter-governmental Council, which supervises and has responsibility for the overall coordination of co-operation between North and South and between Britain and Ireland, met on three occasions in 1984.
Proposals for the development of the Border area are contained in three cross-Border studies — the Derry-Donegal communications study, the Erne catchment study and the Newry-Dundalk study. Progress has been made in relation to some of the recommendations in these studies in so far as resources permit. Two further studies, one in relation to Lough Melvin and the other in relation to the economic development of the Foyle, Donegal, Strabane area, are envisaged. That relating to Lough Melvin is under way and it is hoped that terms of reference to the Foyle, Donegal, Strabane study can be agreed shortly.