ESRI report highlights significant benefits of all-Ireland collaboration – Rose Conway-Walsh TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Rose Conway-Walsh has welcomed the latest ESRI research report delivered under the Shared Island Initiative.

This report is the accumulation of 15 previous research reports on a wide range of policy areas providing in-depth analysis on key areas such as health, education, and the economy.

Speaking after attending the event, Deputy Conway-Walsh said:

“One of the report’s key findings is that cross-border cooperation has the potential to improve skill development, employment opportunities, health care provision and efficiency of energy supply, and help develop approaches to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“These reports are making an invaluable contribution to the development of Ireland’s economies, North and South and its all-Ireland economy. They provide objective evidence to inform policy for systemic collaboration across the Island. Some of the benefits of this deeper collaboration were outlined at the event.

“The report outlines the clear advantages of substantially upscaling North-South collaboration in existing strategic areas such as education, health, and environmental policy and in extending the remit of cooperation to include new strategic areas for cooperation such as, skills provision, foreign direct investment, labour market access and energy security.

“The report also identifies areas of commonality as well as divergence including the persistent barriers to improving these areas which have an impact on economic and social development and the wellbeing of everyone living on the island.

“The report also acknowledges that the Good Friday Agreement’s all-Ireland bodies could be enhanced in a way that is systematic, transparent and covers a broader range of policy areas. Also discussed was the impact of Brexit and the need for quality data on a range of sectors in the economy in the North. The macro-economic model recently produced by the ESRI with IBEC forms the basis for significant further analysis to be carried out.

“I welcome the Taoiseach’s commitment to resourcing the next phase of research and to the exploration of joining the FDI offering across the island as well combining the capacity of the North with FDI in the South. The global economic turbulence now means this must be a priority.

“Today’s report is another example of a commonsense approach to strengthening Ireland’s economies and doing so in an all-Ireland context – as envisaged by the GFA.”