2 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach whether the scheme to maximise the use of Irish source products in the construction industry, announced in his reply to a parliamentary question on 3 June 1992, will be extended to include Northern Ireland.
3 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if the proposed programme referred to in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 4 of 3 June 1992 to double the purchasing of Irish-made components by the electronic industry will include firms in Northern Ireland or will be confined to this State; and if it is only confined to the State, if he will consider extending it to include Northern Ireland in the interests of closer economic integration between the two parts of the island.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
The new integrated strategic approach to business linkages which is being developed by the Task Force on Employment through its State companies linkage group operating under the aegis of my Department — as an initial focus — has the strengthening of the capacity of companies within the State to be involved in linkages to a far greater extent than heretofore. The integrated strategic approach is now being put in place in the building products industry, in the electronics software and related industries sector. It will be extended on a phased basis to a wide range of other industrial sectors. It is this approach which is intended to double the purchasing of Irish-made components by the electronics sector. Undoubtedly, business both within the State and Northern Ireland will benefit from the increased economic activity on the entire island of Ireland which will be generated by enhanced domestic and international business linkages. The initial developments within the State are co-ordinated within the national linkage programme, but it is envisaged that, in time, the approach can be extended to the island of Ireland through co-operation between the relevant Departments and agencies, North and South. I am aware that steps have already been taken in this regard by the business community through the CII and the CBI, Northern Ireland. I am also aware that a commercial business directory, for the first time, has been produced which covers the entire island of Ireland, North and South.
The Deputy will be aware that side-by-side with the new approach which is being taken under the aegis of the Task Force on Employment, and the steps being taken by the business communities North and South, the Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce responsible for Trade and Marketing, Deputy O'Rourke, recently announced details of a new campaign involving An Bord Tráchtála and the Industrial Development Board of Northern Ireland aimed to increase the level of business linkages by small companies on the island of Ireland, North and South. As part of the current campaign a series of subcontract exhibitions, showing products currently being imported which could potentially be produced in Ireland, have been organised in Belfast, Galway, Derry, Waterford and Dublin. I am confident that we can build on this initiative, but there is much very detailed work to be done before we can achieve the desired level of economic integration in the two parts of the island so as to put in place a single comprehensive integrated business linkage programme for the whole island which is our ultimate objective.
Would the Taoiseach say whether the data bank being compiled for use in the integrated business linkage programme for the construction and electronics industries will include information on the supply capacity of firms in Northern Ireland?
I am sure it will but if there is any doubt about it I will have it checked out. It would be reasonable to assume that it would follow from what is the long term objective of this integrated business linkage programme. If such data is not included I can assure the Deputy I will have it inserted.
I welcome the Taoiseach's assurance that Northern Ireland firms will be included in the data bank. Would the Taoiseach say what will be the next sector to which the integrated business linkage programme is likely to be extended after the electronics and construction industries?
Various sectors are being examined at present. I am not in a position to name precisely those that will follow the initial ones. I might also remind the Deputy that, apart from Government action in this regard, a joint council was established in January 1991 to develop business, North and South. To date 50 companies are operating as if it were a single market. A series of sectoral meetings have taken place, the most productive being in the engineering and food industries. The CII and the CBI, Northern Ireland, have appointed specialist trade executives to develop two-way trade in this regard and they report directly to this joint council. That is in addition to the initiatives being taken by the State. I might add that the economic adviser to my Department is working on other sectors to prepare them for inclusion in this programme.
Would the Taoiseach draw to the attention of all semi-State bodies involved in any way in North/South trade relations the terms of the resolution agreed in this House in favour of closer North/South co-operation, an historic agreement across this House on this matter. He should do so, so that a partitionist mentality, if it ever existed, is banished once and for all from the public sector.
Since becoming Taoiseach I have taken every initiative possible, indeed I have gone the whole way in ensuring that any such mentality is removed from the system. I might add that at my insistence the economic adviser to my Department, Dr. Con Power, is taking a personal interest in this area. If there are signs of any remaining partitionist policy in relation to the development of business and about integrating business between North and South, about the establishment of an economic corridor between Belfast and Dublin, the House can be assured that action will be taken to remove those traces.
