Plea over collaboration on €100bn infrastructure investment
Policy-makers across the entire island must work together to reap the benefits of a €100bn investment in infrastructure over the next 10 years, it was warned today.
The Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) said a new level of collaboration across a number of policy areas in terms of the North-South agenda was necessary.
Gary McGann, president of IBEC, who was chairing a meeting of the IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council, said: “It is essential that there should be much more collaboration in order to ensure that the estimated €100bn of investment in infrastructure that is anticipated across the island over the next 10 years, is optimised.”
The council said improved economic growth and competitiveness would bring greater prosperity to all parts of the island.
The meeting heard the energy market was a strong example of progress being made on infrastructure on an all island level.
The council said it welcomed the political leadership that had been shown in the bid to ensure a Single Electricity Market was achieved by July 2007.
The IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council said there was a need for similar political leadership and specific targets across other areas, notably in waste and in telecommunications.
Another priority area highlighted by the council for greater North-South collaboration was labour mobility and education.
Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, who addressed the council’s meeting, said: “There are many opportunities for enhanced north-south co-operation including planning and investment in infrastructure, education and labour mobility and research and development.
“There is also a strong imperative to improve collaboration on a regional basis – notably in areas such as the North West in terms of building economies of scale to attract investment and economic development.”
Pat Colgan, chief executive of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), told the council that within the next 10 years the EU was aiming to become the most competitive economy in the world.
“To achieve this, effective linkages need to be created and maintained between regions and across government, the private sector, voluntary organisations and academics,” Mr Colgan said.
“The experience of the Special EU Programmes Body in delivering the EU’s INTERREG and PEACE programmes will be available to all interested parties on the island of Ireland that want to take advantage of the opportunities that will become available.”
The council was established in 1991 by Confederation of British Industry Northern Ireland and IBEC to develop economic co-operation on the entire island of Ireland.
