Proinsias De Rossa
Question:16 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the current value of North/South trade on this island; and if he has any plans for the further development of this trade.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - North-South Trade.
The value of North-South trade in 1992 was IR£1,294 million. The recent meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference which took place in Belfast on 23 March 1993 reviewed trade between both parts of the island and agreed a number of initiatives designed to give a further boost to this trade.
Engineering events will be organised throughout Ireland by which suppliers from North and South can investigate the possibility of tendering for components imported by 150 major manufacturers. Events have already taken place in Belfast, Dundalk and Castlebar and further exhibitions are scheduled for Newbridge, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Galway, Tralee and Derry.
A public purchasing development group comprising representatives from both administrations will meet shortly to consider ways of taking advantage of opportunities in the public purchasing field.
An Bord Tráchtála will publish during 1993 a series of guides on the Northern Ireland market covering engineering, clothing, furniture, giftware and building materials.
It was also agreed that a conference on cross-Border trade and business co-operation under the sponsorship of both Governments should take place before the end of the year. Already officials from both administrations are in contact to discuss details of the organisation of this conference.
In addition to the foregoing, planning is in progress for a major joint North/South trade promotion of giftware, jewellery and classical clothing to senior purchasing executives of US and Canadian retail outlets. This joint Bord Tráchtála/Industrial Development Board of Northern Ireland event is to be held in Chicago in June 1993 and will involve 120 small and medium sized companies, 30 from Northern Ireland.
Will the Minister comment on the Taoiseach's recent remarks that this could be trebled and on the remarks of other consultants to the effect that some 50,000 additional jobs could be created on both parts of this island if there was an enhancement of trade between both parts of the island? Perhaps the Minister would take the opportunity, now that the Ceann Comhairle is no longer in the Chair, to respond to my earlier question about tourism in this context of trade between the Republic and Northern Ireland?
The figure of £1,294 million is made up of exports from this country amounting to £826 million and imports from Northern Ireland amounting to £468 million. At the recent meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference attended by me, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Justice, I met my counterpart, Mr. Atkins, and discussed further initiatives in the areas of tourism and trade. We co-operate with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to a considerable extent. Recently I attended the IDB Conference in Berlin where the stand was a joint effort between Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, funded by the International Fund for Ireland. The idea is to sell Ireland as one destination. I agree with the Taoiseach that there is scope for greater trade opportunities between North and South. In the communiqué following the recent Anglo-Irish Conference we pointed out that this co-operation would apply to trade and tourism. The Government and I believe that practical co-operation in economic and tourist areas could lead to a greater understanding by all peoples on this island. My Department will actively pursue this issue. As I said in my reply, we will have a number of conferences this year in various towns throughout Ireland as well as a joint trade promotion in Chicago in June. Later this year we will have a business conference organised for the North and South.
Is the Minister aware of the efforts by the CII — which, presumably, have intensified since the merger of the two organisations — to improve the trade relationship between the two parts of the island? What role does the Minister see for his Department — since the trade element is separated from it — in encouraging and developing this trade relationship? Does he envisage that An Bord Tráchtála will have a direct involvement with organisations on the frontline in creating trade relationships? Does he consider that there should be a new impetus in this area for trade on this island and, if so, what vehicle could be used to enhance those trade relationships? It needs a hands on approach as opposed to an aspirational one.
We have agreed that a conference on cross-Border trade will be held later this year, sponsored by both Governments, and operated by An Bord Tráchtála and its Northern Ireland equivalent. That is a step towards developing co-operation. My Department, along with other Government Departments, are anxious to promote co-operation on a number of fronts and trade and tourism are areas in which we can make strides. I have already outlined what we will do in the trade area this year. When the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell canal opens to the public in June 1994 it will be operated by a joint authority. There is continuous discussion concerning those matters and we will continue to seek increased co-operation in all areas of trade and tourism in the years ahead.
Sometimes we under-estimate the social dimension of tourism and are inclined to view it totally in economic terms. Many of the arguments for increased tourism relate to better international understanding. The Minister raised the matter of the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell canal, since the principle behind that kind of cross-Border co-operation is underpinned by EC Structural Funding is it possible to have that co-operation extended throughout the whole island? Many projects could be embarked upon which would encourage tourism movement across the Border. People in the South are not inclined to cross the Border into the North and many projects could be encouraged——
A brief question, Deputy, please. A number of other Deputies are offering.
I will give one example from my constituency; traditionally Bray welcomed many Northern visitors and in recent times——
This is not a time for speeches even if they are about County Wicklow. Let us have a question to the Minister. We have spent a lot of time on this question.
Can the same principle which applies along the Border for tourism development and cross-Border tourism be extended to other parts of the country to widen the base of that kind of interchange?
If anyone has ideas as to where we could extend areas of co-operation I would be glad to listen to them. As a result of the recent Anglo-Irish Conference a matter that will be considered is co-operation between the various hotel interests on both sides of the Border of having one book listing all the hotels of Ireland. It is strange that some of the guides cover merely the 26 counties, that there are blank spaces for the six counties and vice versa. When a person comes to Ireland they see a blank space for the North east corner of the country. If the Deputy or anybody else has ideas about further areas of co-operation I, Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board would be glad to have them investigated. The level of co-operation between the two tourist boards is very satisfactory. They operate well together and we would like to see even greater results.
I do not doubt the Minister's good intentions in this regard. Will the Minister agree that we spend our time, year in year out, in a whole series of new launches, seminars and photocalls with the best intentions in the world? However, from the point of view of selling Ireland as a corporate entity we have failed miserably. We should give our overseas embassies a tough commercial remit to ensure we have an aggressive pro-active campaign in relation to selling Ireland, both individually and as a unit. Is the Minister aware that in the trade fair in Taiwan, which is one of the largest in the world — and where we have an IDA office — there is not a single IDA or Bord Fáilte brochure or video although there is a massive turnover of people, 80,000 of whom came to Britain last year, not one of whom came to this country.
We have gone a little distance from the question of the current value of North-South trade. We have gone to lots of other areas but that is thanks to Deputy Rabbitte. We have now travelled from the north east of Ireland to the far eastern corners of the world. I suppose if we are on a tour we might as well go everywhere.
Next stop Taiwan.
The question raised by Deputy Higgins regarding the whole structure of selling Ireland abroad, the concept of promotional agencies from the IDA to Bord Fáilte, to An Bord Tráchtála and any other organisations involved, was commented on in the Culliton report and when we publish our findings on that report it will be taken into account. I have some experience in that regard. I agree with the Deputy that in some areas of the world we should focus a co-operative approach on the part of all our agencies and bring them together to sell Ireland as a unit. I do not know how this relates to North-South trade but it is a very interesting topic which has animated the House.
In regard to the number of questions on the Order Paper I should like to point out to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister that in excess of 60 questions were either transferred or considered repeats. That is the reason we appear to have such a small agenda. Will the Minister encourage more twinning arrangements between chambers of commerce and towns, North and South, as this would be an effective means of increasing trade links between them?
I would encourage them but it is up to individual chambers of commerce to make those arrangements. A number of them and business organisations may make those arrangements but my Department will be willing to assist in any way possible.