Both of our main economic development agencies, Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland, engage with relevant bodies in Northern Ireland to pursue areas of mutual interest.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in place between EI and Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to enable clients of both agencies to access market services and each other’s trade events. There is also close collaboration between EI, INI and InterTrade Ireland (ITI) on the specific cross border programmes which are operated by ITI.
In relation to IDA Ireland, it cooperates with INI on appropriate regional and all-island economic development. An example of this cooperation was the jointly developed North West Business Technology Zone, which capitalised on the combined strengths of Letterkenny and Derry City as an economic corridor through the development of compatible infrastructure and property solutions. Where appropriate, IDA Ireland and INI also cooperate on company visits where both jurisdictions are being considered by foreign companies.
Science Foundation Ireland signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Education & Learning in Northern Ireland in respect of its Investigators Programme in 2014. This agreement allowed Queen's University and the University of Ulster to participate as full academic partners for the first time in the Programme.
I will keep the issue of new MoUs between Agencies of my Department and their counterparts in Northern Ireland under review. We should of course bear in mind that any new MoUs would need the agreement of the authorities in Northern Ireland.
