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Cross-Border Projects.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2010

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Questions (221)

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

286 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the detail of all cross-Border programmes, initiatives, areas of co-operation and similar which his Department is currently engaged in or about to engage in with its counterparts in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5495/10]

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Written answers

The Department of Foreign Affairs has a coordinating role within Government in relation to North/South cooperation, in particular in support of the work of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC). In the period since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly in May 2007, there have been five meetings of the NSMC in Plenary format, four meetings of the NSMC in Institutional Format and fifty-one meetings of the NSMC in Sectoral format. This has required a high level of engagement by a number of Departments, in conjunction with their Northern Ireland counterparts, to develop and implement initiatives in agreed areas of cooperation and to oversee the important work of our North/South Bodies.

The Department has a key role in preparing for NSMC meetings in Plenary and Institutional Format, both of which I attend. The most recent NSMC Plenary meeting took place in Limavady on December 14th last. The meeting was chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, while the Government delegation was led by the Taoiseach. This was the ninth plenary meeting of the NSMC since its establishment and came almost ten years to the day since the historic inaugural meeting of the Council in 1999.

We had a good discussion in Limavady on the common economic challenges facing both jurisdictions. Ministers welcomed the lifting of the pause in capital funding for the all-island autism centre in Middletown, Co. Armagh, and considered how the two administrations might save money by eliminating duplication in the provision of services on the island. We reviewed progress made across all areas of co-operation since the previous plenary meeting of the Council, including transport, health, education, environment and agriculture. Important developments in these areas included the re-opening of the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise train service, co-operation on planning and preparedness for dealing with swine flu on the island and progress in co-operation on child protection. The North South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting also reviewed progress on a number of institutional issues including the North/South Consultative Forum, the North/South Parliamentary Forum and the Review of North/South Bodies and Areas of Co-Operation arising from the St. Andrews Agreement.

On 11 November last year, I met First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, together with their Northern Ireland Executive colleagues, Margaret Ritchie and Robin Newton, for a North/South Ministerial Council meeting in Institutional Format in Belfast. This is the format of the NSMC which looks at cross-cutting and institutional issues, including in relation to the EU. On that occasion also, we had a good discussion on the potential contribution cross-border co-operation can make in providing more effective and efficient services North and South. We had an interesting exchange of views on EU issues of mutual interest, looking at areas where we might work together to advance our shared interests. With regard to the North/South Bodies, we considered the implementation of agreed efficiency savings for 2009 and 2010. While the Bodies must also play their part in contributing to Exchequer savings, I used the opportunity to reiterate the Government's strong support for the Bodies as they continue to carry out their mandate and play a valuable role in the economic recovery of the island.

In addition to supporting the work of the North/South Ministerial Council, my Department administers a Reconciliation Fund for North-South and Anglo-Irish Cooperation. Its purpose is to assist organisations involved in reconciliation work and to support efforts to create better understanding between people on the island of Ireland, as well as between Ireland and Britain. In addition, an Anti-Sectarianism Fund was launched in February 2008 to assist local efforts aimed at tackling sectarianism. Both Funds support community-based projects that focus on developing new and more effective ways of addressing sectarianism and division in society. Some €3 million has been provided in 2010 under my Department's subhead to administer both Funds. Information on the grantees under the funds is available on my Department website www.dfa.ie .

The Department of Foreign Affairs also has responsibility, in conjunction with the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive, for driving forward the North-West Gateway Initiative. The Initiative, which was launched by the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference in May 2006, is designed to promote closer cross-border cooperation in the region. It has provided an overarching policy framework to facilitate significant levels of investment and co-operation in the North-West. Key projects which have been advanced in the region since the launch of the Initiative include the Government's support for the upgrading to dual-carriageway status of the A5 to Derry and Letterkenny; joint work to deliver high-speed and low-cost broadband through Project Kelvin; support for the City of Derry airport; and funding, through the Strategic Innovation Fund, for a strategic alliance between Letterkenny IT and the University of Ulster. In addition, the Government is supporting cross-border cooperation and joint policy initiatives along the eastern corridor and in the central border area.

The Government is committed to strengthening and deepening North/South cooperation over the period ahead. In the current economic situation, it makes more sense than ever to work together to eliminate duplication and save money by providing services on a cross-border basis. Planning and investing together ensures the best use is made of resources and a coherent response is forthcoming to shared challenges. The Government will work hard over the coming months and years to deepen such cooperation to the mutual benefit of those from all communities, North and South.

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