NI Minister Gerry Kelly addresses the BMW Regional Assembly

Mr. Gerry Kelly MLA, Junior Minister at the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive addressed the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) Regional Assembly in Ballaghaderreen, 13th November 2009.  Welcoming the Minister, Councillor Andrew Boylan, Cathaoirleach of the BMW Regional Assembly referred to the historic first meeting that had taken place in Stormont Castle in September 2008 and thanked the Minister for accepting the invitation to address the Regional Assembly.

In his address, Minister Kelly stressed the need for strong focussed co-operation through all sectors of business and government across the island to produce practical outcomes, mutually beneficial to both jurisdictions.  He stated that the Northern Ireland Executive recognises the importance of co-operation on a North/South basis through formal institutional structures, but also less formal engagements, such as with the BMW Assembly.

Minister Kelly informed the Assembly that economic issues feature prominently on the agendas of the North South Ministerial Council, where it was agreed that there was a need for continued practical co-operation to deal with the challenge of the downturn and  that the economies of both the North and South face difficulties in making the transition to innovation-oriented economies.  He stated that the border had created impediments to faster economic growth and that in many instances public services could be better provided on a co-ordinated basis.  Practical co-operation in areas such as infrastructure, trade, tourism and education was already taking place, he said.

Minister Kelly referred in particular to the development of the Newry-Dundalk motorway, the work of Tourism Ireland in promoting the island as a tourism destination, the international broadband telecommunications project ‘Kelvin’ and the impending restoration of parts of the Ulster Canal.  Minister Kelly also cited the North-West Gateway initiative as a good example of co-operation, seeking to attract new employment and investment to the under-developed North-West region.

Referring to our common position within the EU, Minister Kelly welcomed the enhanced provisions for subsidiarity within the Lisbon treaty, stating that where we share common interests, we have a stronger voice if we work together in our engagements with the EU institutions.  He stated that he recognised the need for broader and earlier engagements in Brussels to influence emerging EU policy. 

Minister Kelly welcomed the increased budget for cross-border co-operation provided under the Interreg IVA programme, along with the strengthened focus of the PEACE programme on reconciliation, of mutual benefit to both regions.  He welcomed the close working relations between the BMW Assembly and its counterpart in Northern Ireland – the Special EU Programmes Body. 

Finally, Minister Kelly called for more consortia to be built around business, higher education and public bodies in order to increase capacity to compete for additional EU funding, particularly in relation to inter-regional and trans-national co-operation programmes.

Members of the Regional Assembly welcomed Minister Kelly’s address and raised several pertinent issues concerning currency exchange rates, cross-border shopping patterns, supporting SMEs, cross-border health provision, co-operation among local authorities and co-operation in terms of agriculture and rural development

Following the meeting, Mr. Gerry Finn, Director of the BMW Regional Assembly stated that Minister Kelly’s address had been very well received and had set out a wide range of areas in which closer cross-border co-operation was yielding tangible benefits for the people of the BMW region.  Mr. Finn stated that the BMW Regional Assembly would continue to co-operate with organisations and agencies in Northern Ireland and in its role in relation to PEACE and Interreg Programmes.