Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2013
111. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the centrality of business and trade to economic recovery across the island, the proposals he has developed to extend the budget and remit of Intertrade Ireland. [18632/13]
View answer132. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he has taken to ensure that where there is job creation policy alignment North and South that joint working is developed. [18633/13]
View answer139. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will consider working with his counterpart in the Northern Executive to develop all Ireland business and economic statistics. [18630/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 132 and 139 together.
My Department is very conscious of the importance of comprehensive business and economic statistics relating to both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The availability of such data is crucial to understanding the background and context of the various business and trade issues which both our administrations are addressing. A significant range of such economic data is compiled by our Central Statistics Office and by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and this is publicly available. From time to time other research is undertaken by Departments and bodies on both sides of the border. Specifically relevant is the work of InterTradeIreland, the North South Implementation Body with specific responsibility for promoting trade development on an all-island basis, and which is co-funded by my Department, as this body has analysed and published data on key cross-border economic activities. This is a valuable source of information to help inform future business activity and enhance cross-border engagement.
In relation specifically to the finances of InterTradeIreland, I am very happy to confirm that the Body’s budget has been kept relatively intact over the last number of years despite the enormous budgetary cuts implemented elsewhere. This has meant that that body has been able to roll out many successful programmes including FUSION, (Technology transfer), INNOVA (Collaborative Research & Development) and ACUMEN (Cross-border sales). I will of course continue to keep InterTradeIreland’s operations under review but we must of course, be conscious of the fact that there should be no duplication of their work with existing programmes undertaken by the other enterprise development Agencies and bodies.
In relation to job creation North and South, this is a key priority of both administrations on the island and we work closely on a range of initiatives. In addition to co-funding InterTradeIreland, as mentioned above, I regularly meet my counterpart Ms Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. There is successful cooperation with the N.I. administration to ensure the implementation of the EU’s INTERREG programme which assists enterprise development and both Departments work to ensure that all relevant areas for potential enterprise development, between the two jurisdictions for mutual benefit, are pursued. In addition, both Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland have a long history of cooperation and have developed and rolled out many effective cross-border enterprise development initiatives that have benefitted firms in both jurisdictions and in the border region. The enterprise agencies will continue to work closely to ensure that all cross-border business opportunities are exploited.
