Debate contribution: All-island Economy

Debate contribution by Ms Aisling Reilly on 9 March 2026.

MLA: Ms Aisling Reilly
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 9 March 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Opposition Business
Heading: All-island Economy
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5453684

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún seo inniu.
I very much welcome the opportunity to respond to the motion on behalf of the Minister for the Economy. Cross-border trade alone is now worth over €10 billion, and key to that success is the rise in all-Ireland trade. According to the Central Statistics Office, from 2020 to 2024, sales from North to South increased by 128·5% to £5·5 billion. That evidence clearly demonstrates that SMEs engaging in cross-border trade consistently outperform others across key metrics such as sales, employment and profitability. Innovation and collaboration across the island also strengthen industry clusters, create higher-quality jobs and enhance sector competitiveness. The Executive and the Irish Government are cooperating well to realise the opportunities. The Department for the Economy in the North and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in the South have formalised their cooperation in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that reinforces the commitment from both Departments to work closely together. The economic development agencies are working well together, and Invest NI has opened a new office in Dublin. Recent initiatives include closer collaboration with the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor, a joint international trade mission with Enterprise Ireland and the IDA and the success of the Shared Island sustainability capital grant in supporting innovative low-carbon technologies across Ireland. InterTradeIreland, Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI are delivering a €30 million all-Ireland enterprise scheme, and that investment is building cross-border networks and clusters, accelerating green enterprise and supporting women's entrepreneurship. Funding has been increased for InterTradeIreland, which, since its establishment, has supported over 60,000 businesses across the island. As well as assisting individual companies, InterTradeIreland's synergy programme has supported cross-border clusters in fintech, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing. Both Governments have also boosted funding for Tourism Ireland, which markets the island internationally as a single unit, yielding a 25:1 return on investment. Tourism is a long-standing all-Ireland industry, and that was recently strengthened by the inclusion of County Fermanagh in the Ireland's Hidden Heartlands brand. The Shared Island Fund has supported a range of tourism projects, most recently with funding for projects including the Giant's Causeway, the Derry Girls experience, the Museum of Free Derry and the Courthouse in Bushmills. Business activity is underpinned by skills, and it is important that people can study and work as seamlessly as possible across the country. Complexities arising from two tax and social security systems mean that many people still have difficulties working in one jurisdiction and living in another. However, a positive step has been taken by Universities Ireland. Previously, A-level students needed four top A-level grades to reach the maximum tariff. Now, three A levels and one AS level are sufficient. The Department for the Economy has introduced a tuition fee loan for postgraduate students from the North who choose to study in the South. The Magee expansion is a cross-border collaboration, and Queen's University Belfast is signing a memorandum of understanding with Dundalk Institute of Technology. Research and innovative continue to be powerful engines of shared and collaborative all-island growth. Our universities have built strong cross-border partnerships through Horizon Europe, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme and the North South Research Programme. Under the PEACE PLUS programme, €46 million has been invested in cross-border skills development. On connectivity, €165 million from PEACE PLUS will help to deliver an hourly train service between Belfast and Dublin, further contributing to a more integrated labour market. The Department for Infrastructure's all-island strategic rail review sets out a long-term vision for a modern, high-quality, low-carbon rail network. The proposals, as was mentioned, include reinstating the Lisburn-Antrim line, including potential airport access; a new Portadown-Derry-Letterkenny rail corridor; electrification of the Belfast-border route; and longer-term extensions into the north-west, including Limavady. Those investments have the potential to transform connectivity, create jobs and unlock economic opportunities for generations to come. The Irish Government have committed funding for a Dublin-Derry air service, enhancing connectivity and improving economic opportunity for the north-west. The all-island economy is growing strongly. However, it still has significant further potential. By continuing to pool our resources, our expertise and our infrastructure, we can build stronger and more competitive regions and deliver long-term prosperity for citizens North and South.

704 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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