THE JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND NO.5 SPRING 2010 THE JOURNAL OF CROSS NO.5 SPRING 2010 £9/€10 BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND with information about the CENTRE FOR CROSS BORDER STUDIES (including 2009 annual report)

featuring an interview with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen and an article by Colm Toibin THE JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND

Children from Clara National School, north Monaghan, on Ravella bridge across the Blackwater River on the border. Photo by Derek Speirs

The Centre for Cross Border Studies is part-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU INTERREG IVA Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 11 Editor: Andy Pollak Picture research: Patricia McAllister

ISBN: 978-1-906444-28-0 The Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen TD, with chair Dr Chris Gibson, vice-chair Dr Pauric Travers and the Centre for Cross Border Studies staff at the Dublin launch of the 2009 ‘Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland’.

CONTENTS

A word from the Chairman 05 Chris Gibson

Making the here and now a better place: interview 11 on North-South cooperation with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD

Along the Catalan and Irish borders: 21 politics of memory and progress through good manners Colm Toibin

Community development along the border: an instrument for the 33 development of the cross-border region? Brian Harvey

A sense of proportion in cross-border shopping: 47 what the most recent statistics show Eoin Magennis, Steve MacFeely and Aidan Gough

Dissolving Boundaries in North-South education 57 Roger Austin

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 3 Towards a Green New Deal on the island of Ireland: 71 from economic crisis to a new political economy of sustainability John Barry

University of Ulster and Letterkenny IT: 87 a unique opportunity for higher education collaboration in the north-west Pat McCloughan

Nationalism in the service of a better chance for a bigger life: 99 a response to Robin Wilson Eoin Ó Broin

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR CROSS BORDER STUDIES 113

Extracts from the Centre’s 2008-2009 Financial Statements 165

Contact Details 167

4 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 A word from the Chairman

Chris Gibson OBE

March 2010 The Centre for Cross Border Studies enters its eleventh year in 2010 in good health. Its work of practical, common sense cooperation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is as relevant as ever, whatever the temporary political vicissitudes at time of writing. The Taoiseach, Brian Chris Gibson Cowen, says as much in his interview in this journal. President Mary McAleese clearly agrees with him. We were honoured last September when the board, the staff and some key friends of the Centre were invited to a 10th birthday reception in Aras an Uachtarain by the President who – along with her husband Dr Martin McAleese – has been one of its strongest supporters. A year ago the fourth Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland - featuring an interview on North-South cooperation with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson – was launched in Dublin and Belfast by the Taoiseach and the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Bruce Robinson, respectively. We have come a long way since Andy Pollak and Mairead Hughes set up shop in two half-decorated rooms in the old Armagh Infirmary building in September 1999.

Despite the economic recession, now up and going strong: the Reviving financial cutbacks in Dublin and the Border Region Economy research continuing problems with the DUP- project, led by Dr John Bradley, formerly Sinn Fein coalition in Belfast, the of the Economic and Social Research past year has been another story of Institute in Dublin, and Professor Michael new developments and significant Best of the Universities of Cambridge progress in the areas of North-South and Massachusetts (in partnership with and cross-border research, information InterTradeIreland); the Cross-border and networking in which the Centre Spatial Planning and Training Network has taken a lead. Four of the Ireland/ (CroSPlaN), led by the Centre’s sister Northern Ireland Cross-border organisation, the International Centre Cooperation Observatory (INICCO) for Local Regional Development, and its projects started in January 2009 with EU director John Driscoll; the Cross-Border INTERREG IVA funding (managed by the Hospital Services research project, led Special EU Programmes Body) and are by the Centre’s new deputy director,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 5 Ruth Taillon (in partnership with the manages are active and growing. Institute of Public Health in Ireland); and Universities Ireland continued to act phase two of the Border People cross- as the finance manager and workshop border mobility information website, led organiser (and reporting officer to the by the Centre’s IT manager, Joe Shiels Higher Education Authority and Irish (in partnership with the North/South Aid) for the 13-university network which Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat). The makes up the Irish-African Partnership fifth project, a pilot Impact Assessment for Research Capacity Building (IAP for Toolkit for cross-border cooperation, will short). The IAP held a third workshop begin in May 2010. Indecon International in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, Economic Consultants were appointed in May 2009, with over 70 senior to evaluate the overall INICCO ‘basket’ academics from Ireland, North and of projects, which will run until the end South, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, of 2011. Uganda and South Africa participating. An additional fourth workshop for vice- Of these projects, the Border People presidents for research and other senior cross-border mobility information research office personnel was held in website is probably the one that Dublin City University in October 2009, developed most in 2009. This website and planning for the fifth workshop in for cross-border workers, students and Zomba, Malawi, at the end of March others (along with its regular User Group 2010, is being finalized. Universities meetings) is an example of pragmatic Ireland’s North/South Postgraduate cross-border cooperation at its very Scholarship scheme – in partnership best: an online information service with the Joint Business Council of to help citizens tackle the everyday IBEC and CBI (Northern Ireland) – will problems of moving across the border this year incorporate a new element: in areas like employment, taxes, health a three month work placement in an services, welfare payments, bank Irish or Northern Irish company to be transfers and so on. One idea we have managed by IBEC’s Export Orientation for 2010 is to learn from US experience Programme, the Republic of Ireland’s and turn a forthcoming User Group longest-running and most successful meeting into a pilot ‘data day’ to explain graduate placement scheme. to and discuss with the public – in our case, a cross-border public – how The Standing Conference on Teacher the use of statistical and other data is Education North and South (SCoTENS) becoming more and more important in continues to be one of the most all our lives. dynamic networks the Centre organizes. It has seed-funded no fewer than 51 Flourishing all-island networks North-South research projects over the past six years, with another 10 about These new projects have taken up a to be funded at time of writing. Last significant amount of the Centre’s time autumn an Irish Times profile of Ireland’s and energy in the past year. In addition, most distinguished, internationally- the three all-island networks the Centre known educationalist, Professor John

6 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 The Taoiseach and Dr Chris Gibson at the Dublin launch of the 2009 journal

Coolahan, noted that his proudest every January that is a ‘must attend’ achievement was his involvement in for senior planners North and South initiating and developing SCoTENS, and further afield. The 2009 conference “regarded as one of the most successful in Letterkenny was addressed by the North/South initiatives ever established, chief planners of England, Scotland and thanks to the high level of co-operation Wales, while the keynote speakers at the and dialogue it has engendered.” 2010 conference in Enniskillen were the SCoTENS is also funding a sixth year US Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, of the pioneering (and CCBS-managed) Declan Kelly; the outstanding Irish North-South Student Teacher Exchange economist, Professor John Fitzgerald; programme, which has seen nearly and two senior planners from Boston, 150 students from Belfast, Dublin Massachusetts, Charlotte Kahn and and Limerick doing a key part of their Holly St Clair. The ICLRD was also assessed teaching practice in schools in involved in training local councillors and the other jurisdiction. local authority officials, and in a range of research projects during the year: rural Thirdly, there is the International Centre restructuring, sustainable communities, for Local and Regional Development delineating functional terriotories, cross- (ICLRD), which after six years in border implications of the Review of existence, is now widely acknowledged Public Administration (NI) and learning as a valuable new part of the planning from planning best practice in the EU landscape on both sides of the Irish and USA. border, with an annual conference

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 7 Universities Ireland, SCoTENS and the Republic, Poland, and the French ICLRD show how leading professionals Caribbean in an EU Leonardo funding can benefit greatly from working application to enable a more formal together in all-island networks. Tim alliance to raise the level of cross-border O’Connor, the founding Southern training in Europe. Joint Secretary of the North/South Ministerial Council, called SCoTENS a Unfortunately, our North/South Public “superb example” of what professional Sector Training programme – which had associations can do if they work on a trained over 140 civil servants from both cross-border basis. The Centre is ready jurisdictions in cross-border cooperation and able to extend its cross-border in 2005-2008 – had to be suspended and all-island management, networking last year after its EU funding expired and and ICT expertise to other groups, alternative funding sources (particularly organisations and institutions in each from government) failed to step in, jurisdiction wishing to work jointly with despite the strenuous efforts of CCBS counterpart bodies across the border, and its partners Cooperation Ireland and looking for an ‘honest broker’ and the Chartered Institute of Public third party to facilitate and administer Finance and Accountancy. We haven’t this. After more than 10 years in the yet given up on this mould-breaking field, our experience is that for such a programme: we still believe in the value cross-border network to be sustainable, of civil servants from North and South the role of a body like CCBS, whose learning together, and continue to seek only interest is in bringing the partners finance for it. together and ensuring they function harmoniously, is a crucial prerequisite. A passionate commitment

This year saw director Andy Pollak This 2010 Journal of Cross Border increasing his outreach activities. For Studies in Ireland breaks new ground by example, in a two month period before featuring an article by one of Ireland’s Christmas he addressed audiences in contemporary literary ‘greats’, the Brussels (the EU Open Days), Omagh novelist Colm Toibin. This is a reflection (twice), Cavan, Castleblayney, Dublin on cross-border relations in Ireland (Oireachtas Committee on the Good and Catalonia which he first delivered Friday Agreement), Maynooth (Irish- at the annual British-Irish Association Scottish Forum for Spatial Planning) and conference in Cambridge in September Strasbourg (University of Strasbourg/ 2009. The Journal also features an Euro-Institute, Kehl) on the work of the interview on North-South cooperation Centre in general and its EU-funded with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD; INICCO projects in particular. Out of an article on community development the last of these engagements came an in areas close to the border by the invitation to join a new network of cross- leading social researcher, Brian Harvey; border training and research institutes a re-examination of the cross-border from Germany, France, Denmark, Spain shopping phenomenon using statistics (Catalonia), Italy, Slovenia, the Czech recently released by the Central

8 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Statistics Office (RoI), by Steve McFeely this month (March 2010) to reflect on of the CSO and Eoin Magennis and where we might go in the next 10 years. Aidan Gough of InterTradeIreland; a One key question to be discussed call for a Green New Deal for the island is whether the Centre’s core work of of Ireland by Dr John Barry of Queen’s practical North-South cooperation in University Belfast, a former co-chair social areas like education and health of the Green Party in Northern Ireland; should be complemented by new work an article on collaboration between in the areas of science, technology and University of Ulster and Letterkenny innovation, which will create the jobs Institute of Technology by Dr Pat and prosperity that will be vital if peace, McCloughan of Indecon Economic stability and a socially just society are Consultants; and a response to Robin going to be embedded in Northern Wilson’s 2009 article on new forms Ireland over the next decade. What will of Irishness by Eoin Ó Broin, author be the continuing role of the government of Sinn Fein and the Politics of Left and people of the Republic of Ireland Republicanism and a member of Sinn in this? One thing is certain: we remain Fein’s ard comhairle. By publishing passionately committed to the tasks of these articles, the Centre is trying to researching and developing practical provoke new cross-border thinking on cooperation for mutual benefit in Ireland issues important to the island – it is not as a vital element of the continuing agreeing with or endorsing the peace and reconciliation process. opinions expressed.

Overall, the Centre’s ethos of partnership Once again, the Centre owes a great and cooperation to bring about debt of gratitude to the Special EU increased mutual understanding and Programmes Body for its continuing respect on this island continues to faith in the work of the CCBS. Through energise and inspire its board, staff and the SEUPB, the Centre has been many supporters. After ten and a half granted £1.44 million in EU INTERREG years of successful activity, the board IVA funding to carry out the five INICCO and senior staff are taking a ‘day out’ projects listed above in the years

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 9 2009-2011. Another significant funder We would also like to express has again been the Irish Department of our gratitude to the various other Education and Science, for whom the organisations which have partnered the Centre is currently beginning a study Centre over the past 12 months: notably of North-South cooperation in schools the North/South Ministerial Council and youth groups (in collaboration with Joint Secretariat, with special and warm the North/South Exchange Consortium). thanks to the Joint Secretaries, Tom Over the last decade the Centre has Hanney and Mary Bunting, for their received direct financial assistance from constant support and encouragement; a range of providers including the EU the Department of the Taoiseach; the PEACE and INTERREG programmes, nine universities, with particular thanks the Irish Department of Education to current Universities Ireland chairman and Science, the Irish Department of Professor Richard Barnett, Vice- Foreign Affairs, the Office of the First Chancellor of University of Ulster; the Minister and Deputy First Minister (NI), nine colleges of education and 29 other the NI Department for Employment and institutional subscribers to SCoTENS; Learning, Atlantic Philanthropies, the and the institutions which make up Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the the International Centre for Local and Nuffield Foundation and the Regional Development. A particularly British Council. warm ‘thank you’ to ICLRD director John Driscoll, and assistant directors The Centre has again been active Caroline Creamer and Neale Blair, over the past year in bidding for for their real spirit of partnership and research projects from government solidarity over the past year. departments and agencies like EURES, the European cross-border Again we have to thank our advertisers, employment service. Financial and other most of them cross-border bodies or support for the Centre’s associated companies themselves, which have organisations – Universities Ireland, faithfully supported this Journal in recent the Stranding Conference on Teacher years, and have advertised again this Education North and South (SCoTENS) year despite the very considerable and the International Centre for Local financial constraints imposed on them and Regional Development (ICLRD) by the recession. They are Safefood, – has again come from the Northern Tourism Ireland, InterTradeIreland, Ireland Departments of Education and Weber Shandwick, Cooperation Employment and Learning, the Irish Ireland, Armagh City Hotel (Mooney Department of Education and Science, Hotel Group), the Loughs Agency, the the Irish Higher Education Authority, Institute of Public Health in Ireland, InterTradeIreland, the Northern Ireland FPM Chartered Accountants, Michael Department for Regional Development, Campbell Photography and Leslie the Irish Department of the Stannage Design (who design all the Environment, Heritage and Local Centre’s publications and reports). Government, and the International Fund for Ireland.

10 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Making the here and now a better place: Interview on North-South cooperation with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD

Would you agree that North-South cooperation over the past 12 years since the Good Friday Agreement has been one of the quiet success stories of the Northern Ireland peace process? What do you think are its main achievements over this period?

Brian Cowen

It has been a success story in that the In doing this, we have moved on Good Friday Agreement and the St from the paramilitarism of the past Andrews Agreement have been about to a political culture which is about resolving sets of relationships that have democratic principles and consensually been fractured by historical events working together, accommodating each within the North, between Northern other’s differences and seeing strength Ireland and the Republic, and between in diversity, rather than not exchanging Great Britain and Ireland. These because of past differences. If you agreements have enabled us to rebuild look over the past 10-12 years at the relationships, and the North-South joint infrastructural projects we have cooperation process is about rebuilding undertaken; at the promotion of the relationships between the two parts island of Ireland for tourism purposes; of the island on the basis on mutual at the joint trade missions; at the far benefit. Unfortunately, in the past the greater levels of cooperation between absence of constructive dialogue and our educational institutions, particularly the overwhelmingly negative impact of in research and development – these are conflict meant that there was no space all strategic gains from the principle and for those relationships to be mended, for practice of North-South cooperation. building trust and normality so that we And by emphasizing that commonality of could achieve good neighbourly relations interest and identifying the mutual benefit between people who have a lot more that comes from cooperation, this is the in common than what separates them. means by which trust can be built and So I think North-South cooperation relationships can be restored to normal, is a manifestation of normalising as well as to the natural competition relationships in Ireland. that communities engage in in order

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 11 to progress in democratic countries. are simple, practical and important We have agreed that conflict will never examples of cooperation. Another is our achieve a solution, and we have devised continued commitment to the roads in these structures which reflect the the North, despite the recession. These need to restore trust and normality to roads are strategic links, all-important relationships. We have devised ways arteries that provide lifeblood both to in which North-South cooperation can commerce and to people’s engagement give substance to this inter-dependence, on the island. which was so obvious but which was lost in the conflicts and divisions of What are the continuing challenges the past. to North-South cooperation?

This is an ongoing and evolving process, One challenge, which is reflected in not a static one. It continues to require the review of the North/South bodies a fostering of good relationships at both being carried out under the terms of human and inter-governmental levels, the St Andrews Agreement, is to try between communities, in business, in to be more creative and ambitious. In sport – across a whole a range of areas the initial stages we have ensured that outside politics which are very much any unnecessary suspicions about part of people’s lives. That continuing surreptitious agendas have been interaction and openness to engage dispelled. North-South cooperation is is fundamental. I believe it’s that wider a transparent, up-front, cooperative communal interaction which is not just model in areas which make a lot of as important as the political engagement sense to people. The challenge is that but at the end of the day is a measure we have to move from the agenda of how successful the whole peace that we set 10 or 12 years ago, which process has been. I think we all agree has formed the basis for cooperation there’s an awful lot more to be done, a thus far, and ask which other areas lot more potential to be tapped. There we can now cooperate on, particularly are micro-examples of links between in times of recession. For example, towns like Downpatrick and Listowel; how do we deliver public services that exchanges between schools in the are sustainable? On both sides of the border region; all the things that are border we need to reorganize our public happening in the north-west. Across services so that they are sustainable a broad spectrum of politics, North and affordable, and so we can provide and South, everyone now agrees them to the people who need them – whatever they thought in the past – most. In the interests of taxpayers, that cooperation is the best means of both sets of administrations need to overcoming conflict. examine how we can avoid duplication: for example, how we can cooperate So we have increased cooperation in to provide shared services in health, trade and tourism and agriculture, for local government, regional planning example in combatting the problems and development, spatial planning and of BSE and foot and mouth. These education. A good example of meeting

12 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 The Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD with Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA and First Minister Peter Robinson MP MLA a new challenge was the establishment you satisfied that this further of a single energy market for the island, development of cooperation can which was outside the North/South happen, given that the DUP might Ministerial Council structure but had an want to minimize such cooperation imperative and logic to it which made it as much as possible? happen. I think experience of cooperation This shows what can be done if the provides the best antidote to goodwill is there and if both sides reservations people might have about have the self-confidence to realize that it. More and more people on all sides, this is about serving our respective including local council representatives, constituencies and populations in the are seeing what can be achieved very best way we can, in the way that through such cooperation. Obviously we would cooperate with any neighbour, time and experience and practice help any person who has a common interest people to see the potential of this kind to share with us. I think there’s a lot of work. The key principle here is mutual more to be done there, and some benefit, and it behoves all of us to move people still have to grasp that they on from where we were in the past 10 can do this without feeling that it’s or 15 years and see this as an evolving problematic for anyone. agenda to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. There are a whole range With the DUP as one half of the of areas where this can happen to far Northern Ireland Executive, are greater effect.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 13 There are also communities, North and them and be seen to help them. It’s South, which are suffering from social not in any way to be churlish about the exclusion. In the 1980s we devised ways tremendous improvements we’ve seen and means of targeting and overcoming and the existing examples of very good disadvantage here in the South, and if cooperation, but I often feel that we the process we are all engaged in, North need to move it on, although I accept and South, is going to be successful, it that we must move it on at a pace has to involve everybody. So we should that everyone is happy with so that we be able to devise common approaches reinforce the stability of the process. which show disadvantaged communities that we are trying to work together How have the economic recession on their behalf. We saw, for example, and the government’s financial the outreach to loyalist paramilitaries problems affected North-South recently as an example of how people cooperation? who start from an extreme position can be helped to develop confidence by Obviously the recession has affected it. giving assistance to their communities However, look at cross-border shopping. which they see as a new way forward That’s a function of volatile exchange and not threatening to them. rates, not of volatile differences between us about where people should shop. North-South cooperation is an evolving, People go for value, and if the exchange flexible mechanism which can target rate favours the sterling area against the different areas of policy. I believe the euro, people make their moves on that people want us to work together. basis. Of course there is an obligation Everyone has anxieties and worries, on us as a government to be more cost- for example about employment competitive, to keep our costs down, opportunities for young people and to and we have been working on doing what extent we are equipping them that. Now, for example, you see the for a more difficult and competitive exchange rate going down to 87 cents environment over the next 10 years. to a pound sterling, where it was 94 For all of us, North and South, what cents a few months ago (Note: interview happens outside this island is important, date was 21 January) – so that’s a but we can do a lot internally to equip transient, changeable scenario. us to meet these external challenges. To come to the North-South agenda However, rather than saying the currency with this philosophy will enable us to differential determines the trading develop structures and mechanisms in relationship between North and South, harmony. Obviously we have to do it in we should concentrate on increasing ways that people are comfortable with. the volume of trade between North and Obviously the political culture will always South. This maintains and safeguards be cautious in both administrations, jobs, and we’re still seeing a lot of but I think the people on the ground cross-border investments going on, with want to see positive, cooperative companies having a presence North and North-South structures that will help South, and that’s good and natural and

14 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5

helps to overcome the distortions of the and moving into new areas, and looking past. We have to recognise that in the out for market opportunities wherever market economy there will be ebbs and they can find them. I think difficult flows both ways; what we really need times reinforce the logic of the island of to concentrate on is the creation of a Ireland economy, because again we’re zone of stability on the island in which far better working together than going trade can expand according to market out to compete in that big bad world demand far more freely and organically separately. We’ll all survive in our own than would have been the case in the way, but we must tap the potential that past. InterTradeIreland have done and collaboration would bring rather than are doing excellent work in this area. I closing off those opportunities. often remind myself that when people think politics determines everything, of So I don’t see that ‘turning in’ course it doesn’t. At the time of the Iraq happening. For example, in terms war, for example, the level of American of showing our commitment to the investment in France was at its highest process, I would be very much of the when political differences were at their view that when the time for funding most glaring over that issue. At the end the Northern roads network was of the day business is determined by coming up for decision, that was the its own logic, its own opportunities. I time to show that we were definitely often stress the importance of the more committed – it wasn’t a question of normal political situation we have now, saying “we’ll do certain things in good which has helped business on the island times but we won’t do those things in to expand and attract more prospective bad times”. Those roads are strategically customers worldwide. as important for this jurisdiction as they are for the Northern Ireland jurisdiction Is there a danger of both politicians – so why wouldn’t we proceed, there’s and people in the South turning in no reason not to proceed, and we’ll on themselves during this period of probably get it done far cheaper now recession and forgetting the peace and more quickly derive the benefits that was so hard won in the North from it. We need to look at the medium and – more specifically – the North- and long-term and doing these projects South strand of that peace process? is all the more important in that longer term; they give confidence that the That could be a trend. I don’t think process is for real, that these are it will be because these structures strategic objectives which reinforce the are so embedded now and so much benefits for both jurisdictions. To regard part of how we do our business. The these things as optional extras rather last 12 years have shown that. Even than a basic necessary part of an island since 2008, in a difficult period when infrastructure would be a totally wrong we have seen quite severe recession signal to send. in the Republic – perhaps less so in Northern Ireland – business people have You mention roads, but as money adapted and moved on, consolidating gets tighter you obviously have to

16 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 prioritise what you put into North- measure of efficiency and effectiveness South cooperation initiatives. that you would expect in other areas of Apart from infrastructure, are public sector activity? Of course those there any other future North-South criteria should apply. I don’t believe in priority areas you would see the ring-fencing something by saying that’s government investing in? the way it should be because that’s the way it has always been. People Higher education and research is one have to justify what they’re doing. that has to be prioritized, particularly We’re doing it in every other area of R & D. Once again North-South administration here: the McCarthy report collaboration is the obvious way forward has looked at how we’re delivering here. There are natural hinterlands services in the South at the moment, which need to be accommodated: for and what amalgamations should take example, in the north-west between place and which organisations should Letterkenny Institute of Technology perhaps be discontinued. But the North/ and University of Ulster. For that South bodies are an integral part of collaboration to be developed you need the agreements we’ve reached, and goodwill, determination and people of it was envisaged in those agreements ability to make it happen – again it’s that this would be an evolving process, about reinforcing trust and confidence that we would begin with these bodies that this is to our mutual benefit. More and then look at others on the basis of and more people are looking at this kind their potential benefits. The letter and of project on the basis that ‘if it makes spirit of those agreements means that sense, let’s do it’. What the peace we should proceed along those lines process is allowing us to do is to see and the review of the bodies should be things as they are: to look at potential approached in that way. cooperation on the basis of intrinsic, measurable benefits, and then to say What would you like to see coming ‘Why wouldn’t we do this – we’d be out of that review? Are there any mad not to.’ other areas where you would like to see us moving into further and wider Are the North/South bodies safe cooperation? in this time of recession – is their funding ring-fenced? I’m not prescriptive about that but I do say that public service delivery could The whole North-South concept and be an area of further cooperation. architecture is safe because it works. There’s no doubt at all in my mind Can it work better? Of course it can. about this when you see what we’re Should any area of public expenditure doing in cross-border cancer services be immune from critical analysis? No on the island: Altnagelvin hospital in it shouldn’t. Can we see better ways Derry providing a resource not only of doing things and thus expand into for its own immediate jurisdiction but other areas in the future? Of course we also for people in Donegal; or what should. Should we insist on the same Daisy Hill hospital in Newry is doing for

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 17 renal services in the Cooley area. That government, waste management, makes obvious sense. These are simple energy (particularly sustainable energy), examples of a whole range of areas public services generally – there are where we can do more together. so many obvious points of common interest. What we really need to do is When you consider that in this country to allow these to develop organically. I health, education and welfare make recognise that the bedrock of that is the up 80% of total day-to-day public establishment of trust and confidence expenditure, then it seems to me there’s in each other’s capacity to cooperate, a huge argument for North-South to identify the problems and to agree cooperation that should be explored that mutual benefit is the sole criteria here. With a background of very tight by which we’ll proceed. If that’s looked budgets, it’s incumbent on us to look at at objectively and in a sensible way – these things – not just to look at them, recognizing all the political sensitivities but to devise initiatives to show to the – it seems to me that this is an public on both sides of the border that evolving agenda which can only bring both administrations are mindful of the advantages to everybody on the island fact that they must spend taxpayers’ and should be seen to be the only way money to best effect, and to do that in a forward for 21st century Ireland. way that provides better services on both sides of the border is a no- Do you think North-South brainer really. cooperation has a role to play in getting both jurisdictions out of Would it be fair to summarise your recession? position on future North-South cooperation as more economic Absolutely. Macro-economic policy cooperation plus cooperation in the issues obviously dictate much of that: delivery of public services in certain improving our budgetary position and areas on a cross-border basis? having sustainable public finances. North/South bodies themselves can’t Yes, some of which we’re already doing. deliver that, but if they’re built on a The question of economic cooperation solid foundation of sustainable public is very important given the challenges finances, and those structures are we have externally, and given the fact worked to best effect in the areas that historically we have never tapped of economics, social policy, the the potential of intra-island trade and environment, energy efficiency, and economic activity. So we need to right across the spectrum of public overcome that historical legacy. The administration generally, they can agreements we have reached provide play a role. I’m convinced that we for that opportunity and the North/South need to recognise the potential of bodies which emanated from those give the mutually beneficial North-South us the means to do that. economic cooperation which can be achieved in the immediate term. This is Then on the social side – on health, a positive pathway which can play an education, the environment, local obvious contribution to getting us out

18 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 of recession if people approach it in the the destination. The problem with our right way. ideologies in the past was that we had this idea about where we were going but What would be your vision of the we had no idea how anyone was going island of Ireland economy in to come with us on the journey. We have 10-15 years? now all decided: let’s go on a journey and forget about the destination – the My vision of the island economy in destination isn’t really important in that 10-15 years is a situation where the respect. We can all work for what it is jurisdictions on this island are working we would like ideally to see, but this is sensibly, cooperatively and in every not something that can be forced or area of economic activity for mutual imposed upon people on either side benefit; where we have a highly-trained, of the island. This is about people of well-educated population, quick to different traditions who live on this island meet the challenges of living in a 21st who have common interests. We as century world where competition is political leaders must cooperate to best global; where we have cooperation serve the people we represent; we have built on the foundations of mutual an obligation to make sure we share respect and confidence in our own this piece of ground in a peaceful and traditions and political outlooks, which harmonious way which will bring a good are different but which are not mutually quality of life for all our people. And all exclusive. Underpinning this, based on these North/South structures and policy our common commitment to pluralism areas we’ve been talking about are really and recognising strength in diversity, us trying to identify the ways in which we we would have political structures can give meaning to that overall political and public administrations that are philosophy. democratic, cooperative, open and serve the community to best effect, That’s the great challenge for this given the fact that we would have generation and for the next generation, two administrations on the island. We and it’s a legacy we can leave that would be working the agreements we is a far better one for our children have, recognizing the legitimacy of than others who have had to lead our respective traditions – one loyal their respective generations at times to Britain, the other looking to Irish of conflict, and great pain, loss and unity as a legitimate objective, but one anguish for people. A commitment that will only be pursued peacefully by to democratic principles and open, common consent. Therefore there would mutually respectful dialogue that be no threatening, exclusivist political brings real benefits and opportunities philosophy which would make people for people to work and live together defensive or insular or non-cooperative. seems to me to be something that would get the unanimous approval of The genius of all of these agreements every right-thinking person, North is that we are all on a common journey and South. together where we have not decided on

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 19 You’ve mentioned a number of if our world ends at the jurisdictional areas – e.g. energy, higher education border. and spatial planning – where you could like to see more cross-border Do you agree with Martin Mansergh cooperation. Would you like to that barriers to North-South elaborate on the potential of any of cooperation have never been lower, these areas? and that the Irish government should concentrate on continuing to We’re seeing the work of the North lower these rather than to press any West Gateway Initiative, for example. In claims for Irish unity at a time when this region there is work quietly moving its overriding priority is to along, whether it’s in infrastructure, or get the Irish economy out of its higher education, or health, or the Kelvin present crisis? broadband project, or making the whole north-west area more attractive for Yes, I do. The ultimate destination investment and economic opportunity, of any political project is a matter or the idea of spatial planning behind of time working itself out. Therefore these developments. Spatial planning the destination – where we end up is about maximizing our opportunities; eventually - is not the thing to be talking making sure we don’t duplicate about. That will be for other people to developments in a way which would decide in another time maybe. We have undermine rather than sustain the to make the here and now a better progress everyone is trying to achieve. place, and we have to do it on the It’s about finding a common vision of basis that we have devised a political how you would develop an area and culture that is less suspicious and fearful provide opportunities for the people than ever before, that is more open to who live there, and how you would do recognise the common interests that that cooperatively on both sides of the we have together whilst respecting that border, accommodating each other’s we are in separate jurisdictions. We requirements. This seems to me to be should be concerned about what it is we an eminently sensible thing to do, and can do together. I think the people on one that’s already reflected in greater the ground see the common sense of interaction taking place at local that approach and expect us as public authority level. representatives to lead, so that rather than missing opportunities presented by So if we could agree in planning terms North-South cooperation, we are fully how contiguous areas are to develop, grasping them. that could provide the master plan for the other building blocks of economic The interviewer was Andy Pollak and social policy which would maximize and the interview took place on taxpayers spend. It would improve the 21 January 2010. outcomes that we’d expect from our investments, rather than allowing our respective administrations to plan as

20 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Along the Catalan and Irish borders: politics of memory and progress through good manners

Colm Toibin

On St John´s Eve, 23rd June, each year in the village of Isil, in the province of Lleida, in the area known as the Pallars high in the Catalan Pyrenees, the same ritual is enacted, which has its roots deep in the rich earth of European rituals, a core aspect of which is always to light a fire to mark the longest day of the year and ward off evil spirits. In Isil, what happens begins slowly. Once Colm Toibin it is fully dark, from the small square in front of the church you can look up and see glimmers of burning wood in the wooded hill above as the men of the village carry down logs, or long trunks of trees, which are already burning.

You can watch this strange slow were their parents, and it is easy to see procession cork screw its way down that the light from the big bonfire on the hill, the trunks beginning to burn which all the trunks are placed is also brighter. The feeling that this ritual the light of regeneration, it is where the has been going on since time began young men and women from this village deepens as you realize that no one and the other small villages around can around you believes that any of the men meet and stay up late and dance with carrying the logs is in any danger. They each other under the tender eye of the know, from time immemorial, how to older generation. choose the wood, how much of each trunk to set alight and how many men It is easy to feel that this territory and are needed to carry it down and at what its people have been undisturbed for pace. It is easy to feel in these villages centuries, that life has developed as which are close to the French border slowly and organically as systems as the crow flies or using half forgotten of building using stone, or ways of pathways, that life, with all its traditions cooking, or curing meat, or doing the and rituals, has had the same rhythm harvest, or speaking Catalan with a as the seasons. Most people who live rural accent. It is easy to feel that this is in these villages were born in them, as an old, untouched, traditional Europe,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 21 and that the proximity to France and were in that photograph and who are even the borderline itself that runs still alive, and has been thus able to between France and Spain through piece together what happened in those these mountains belong to easy tradition months of 1938 to the quiet traditional in the same ways as the rituals of St life in a village in Spain close to the John´s Eve in Isil do, or the idea of French border that caused most of birth and marriage and death in these its population to flee to France using villages. It is easy to see the border in mountain paths. this undisturbed world as something which belongs to nature as much as The new politics of memory to culture, which is as fully accepted and understood as the change in the Such historical investigation has only seasons, something not made by been possible in the past few years, history, but made by more elemental in a time when the silent pact made in forces which have always been in place, 1975 on the death of Franco between or made indeed by God. both sides not to re open old wounds, or put anyone on trial, or have a truth But then there is a photograph. And and reconciliation commission, no if that photograph had come to us longer seems necessary or useful. The uncaptioned it could be any group of silence had done its work, had allowed villagers, all the generations, gathered a democratic society to emerge from in front of a municipal building some the shadows. In the past few years, time in the first half of the twentieth however, these very shadows and that century. The fact that they all look so very silence have come to seem like serious need not matter. In those years poison from the past. Not only are the in formal group photographs people saw murdered dead of the war being dug up no reason to smile. They understood and identified from communal graves all the camera as a serious instrument of over Spain, but in the border area, in the record. But the caption gives us the Pyrenees which belong to both France date and the place and the origin of the and Spain, the paths used in these people. It is 1938, and it is Clermont terrible years between 1936 and 1945 Ferrand on the French side of the have been re-opened in memory of border, and the people, around eighty those who were forced to use them. of them ranging from the very old to the very young, are from the village of Alos And in all the villages on the Spanish, or d´Isil, about four kilometers from Isil, the Catalan side, of the border last summer village described above. At first glance, there were lectures and exhibitions, they could be the entire population of with titles like ´The Path of Freedom´, the village until you notice the presence ´The Pallares Exile in France´, ´The of very few men aged between eighteen Catalan Exile of 1939´. The exhibitions and fifty. Recently, an historian, working have included photographs of the with this photograph, has been able landscape as it is now, and as it was to identify most of the people in it, and then, actual diaries of those who fled has been able to interview some who across the border, and mementoes

22 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 and found objects from that time. On mountain paths in the Pallars, which 11 September, which is not only the have been cleared and signposted anniversary of the attacks on the Twin for tourists and visitors, as walkways Towers and the Pentagon Building through a beautiful mountain landscape in 2001, and the murder of Salvador and also walkways into the past, a past Allende in Chile in 1973, but also that was hidden for so long, first by Catalonia´s national day, in a village a dictatorship and then by a fledgling close to Isil called Valencia d´Aneu, democracy, which now has become a there will be a public act of homage to subject for serious investigation and a those from the village who were shot by small tourist industry. Franco´s troops in 1938. It might seem then that all is settled All of this is part of a new politics in again: that the events of seventy years Spain, the politics of memory. At the ago, when people fleeing from Hitler end of last September there was a week used this border to get into Spain from long course for tourist guides on these France and thence to America, and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 23 war came to an end, and free Spain for democracy.

No border in Europe is simple. No Lisbon Treaty is likely to affect, for example, the position of Andorra, which sits on the border between Catalonia and France as a semi-independent, tax-free principality. Because of the mountain roads and paths best known to the locals which pour out from Andorra, vast quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, electrical goods and much more are smuggled. Since policing in Spain in the years after Franco was as fraught as in Northern Ireland, a Catalan speaking police force was set up in Catalonia, but, since the border with France is a national border, the force used to stop A Pyrenean mountain village in Catalonia smuggling are the old Guardia Civil, who do not speak the local language or know when large sections of the population the territory. Their lack of knowledge of villages which had been loyal to plus the mobile phone as the smuggler´s the Republic and many other Spanish secret new weapon mean that they are refugees used this border to get out of highly ineffective. This border, like the Spain and into France, are now distant Irish border, is filled with delicious ways and part of history. But nothing is as of making easy money involving a local simple as that. The paths were also knowledge, a culture of secrecy and used by priests who needed to flee for watchfulness, and a sense that many their lives from Republican Spain in 1936 people are involved at various levels and 1937. The same mountain guides, in a tight web of conspiracy against working for money, led the priests to authority. safety as they later did those fleeing both Hitler and Franco. Any digging Nor does the border here separate two up of the past has to deal with the fact different nations, with two separate that some of the more affluent refugees identities which are absolute. This is coming from France, many of them perhaps more obvious in the Basque Jewish, were robbed on the Spanish Pyrenees with the idea that the Basque side of the border. The paths were also country straddles the Spanish-French used by the maquis between 1944 and border, but it exists also here in the 1946 who believed that if they could Pallars. Although less Catalan is spoken destabilize Franco´s regime by acts of on the French side in every generation, terrorism, then the Allied Forces would there is a still a strong feeling among see fit to follow their example, as the people on both sides of this border that

24 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 the border between France and Spain this, but not many, and it was an abiding in the Catalan Pyrenees is a line drawn feeling, that this was a landscape, in its through their identity for the convenience very poverty, in the half drained fields, of others. Last year on Sunday 2nd or the roads that seemed ready to peter August there was a meeting in a out, or the abandoned houses, or the mountain village, Port de Salau, on the menacing sky, that made you think of French side between Catalans who have the world´s end. I thought sometimes of a French passport and Catalans who folding the landscape as you can fold a carry a Spanish passport to emphasize map at the very point where the border their common identity as Catalans who ran for three or four miles on either side have been divided against their will by and allowing something useful to rise in a line on a map. They carried the same its place. Because the border itself was flags and spoke the same language. The not any use, except for smugglers and border between them was, for that day those intent on killing and escaping. at least, their only problem. It was hard not to think in twos, in a An unsettled landscape series of almost neat binary oppositions. Each town and village in the North had When I walked along the border something close to its opposite in the between the Republic of Ireland and South. Each killing seemed to have a Northern Ireland in 1986 and retraced revenge killing. It was as though each the journey with a BBC radio producer person had a doppelganger and that to make a documentary ten years later, each action or statement or religion or I was never aware of walking through a political feeling was not individual, but a landscape which was settled and stable, dance with another action or statement as the Catalan Pyrenees seems settled or religion or political feeling which and stable. It was not merely in 1986 merely seemed like its opposite but was the broken bridges and the huge ugly in fact its match. roadblocks and the presence of armed police and soldiers; it was not simply the It was easier then to write about two sense of watchfulness on faces, of entire actions rather than one. To write about communities on the look-out or waiting Seamus McElwain and John McVitty, for the next ghastly event, or in 1996 the for example, one a Catholic, the other a beginnings of the end of this. Protestant, one IRA, one UDR, one living just south of the border, one just north. It was something in the very landscape, Both died violently of bullet wounds in a sense in Leitrim and Fermanagh, in the same year 1986 within a few miles of Donegal and Derry, in Monaghan and each other, one in April, one in July. One Armagh of a few miles on either side of death may even have been a reprisal the border when the world seemed to for the other. Both had large funerals. I have come to a strange end, when it attended one and I visited the family of would have been easy to imagine not a the other. But making the connection border but a vast ocean at the end of a between them was too easy, too neat, road or a field. There were exceptions to for every reason, not merely because

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 25 McVitty, unarmed, was farming his land John McGahern: the principle of with his twelve year old son when he good manners was shot and his assailants fled across the border to the Republic. McGahern loved the border. It added an interest to life, he felt. He went once a There is another duo who seem more week to Enniskillen and he enjoyed the interesting now more than twenty years idea that once he was over the border later, who I did not connect in my mind he was in a foreign country. The two or my book with each other at the time, parts of the island, he felt, and I agreed although I grew to know both of them with him about this, would never come in the years after I wrote the book and, together, because they had grown apart indeed, I grew to like them and admire in ways that even they themselves did them. I will dwell on them now, two men not understand. So there was no point from the border, one from each side, in talking about that, he would suggest, one from each religion, both wounded and anyone who did was foolish. What figures and carrying their wound as a was worth talking about instead, he felt, dark charm, they were both the best was how actual life for actual people company you could meet, and they both on both sides of the border might be had learned something about holding improved, and he believed that there your dignity, standing alone and learning was great room for improvement. He to forgive which we might find useful thought that there was a simple principle now in our own wounded society south that people might apply to the politics of of the border and indeed, in its partner their lives, the principle he called good in woundedness, in the north. manners. He believed that if people north and south had good manners, One is John McGahern, the other Bob with their families, their friends, their Bain. One lived close to the border in neighbours, then a great deal could the Republic, the other close to the be achieved. border in the North. They were both men of independent views, in a country His second novel The Dark was banned known, at least to me, for its conformity, in 1966 by the Censorship Board of the and men of great charm, which is not Republic of Ireland. When he returned something you see much in Ireland to Ireland from a year abroad, he was anywhere. They had both in different still in his twenties and the author of ways been wounded, they had both two books which had been published in been in the news, and they would both London in the knowledge, which proved be pointed out to you or to others all true, that they were likely to become of their lives. But they both carried classics. McGahern liked England as marks of this within – what they showed he did France, not only their literature besides the charm, or maybe as part and people, but he was also grateful to of it, was an immense privacy, a deep both countries for how they had treated spirituality, which is not something you him as a young writer, the amount of see much in Ireland either, or in the care and respect he had been offered Pallars for that matter. in both London and Paris. In Ireland,

26 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 John McGahern near his home in Country Leitrim on the other hand, on the orders of the the privacy of life in Leitrim, maintained Catholic archbishop of Dublin, he was close and good relations with some of removed from his job as a teacher not his neighbours there. He viewed the rise only because of his book which had to the level of minister, or in one case been banned, but because he had higher, of a number of men in the Fianna married a Finnish woman in a registry Fail party who lived close by, with a office. He did not receive any support sort of amused contempt. He knew too from the teachers´ trade union. With his much about them to believe they were book banned and with no job, he left the merely fools, but he knew they were country and did not return for a number fools. That much at least he could prove. of years. When one of them tried to build an abattoir close to his house which was by Because he was a novelist, he thought a remote lake, he put a Trojan effort with some of this was funny, especially in some neighbours into preventing this. its details. But behind the smiling face When he won this battle, McGahern there was the pain of that time and the reported with great satisfaction that the sense of having his privacy invaded in politician in question, on being asked a way which had been intolerable for about the reason for his failure to build someone who remained even in middle the abattoir, shouted out that he failed age oddly shy and sensitive and solitary, because ´that writer cunt has them someone much happier in the shadows all riz´. than in the light, in the company of one or two people than in a crowd. He liked The only time I ever heard McGahern

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 27 speak with admiration of a politician was of that upbringing, the sense of our when he was invited to Dublin Castle by origins beyond the bounds of sense, an John Bruton´s government for a dinner awareness of mystery and wonderment, in honour of Prince Charles, and he grace and sacrament, and the absolute noticed at the very end of the evening equality of all women and men Bruton standing casually talking to underneath the sun of heaven. That is people while drinking a pint of Guinness all that now remains. Belief as such has with some of his shirt hanging out, no long gone.´ lackies around or sense of pomposity about him. He mentioned this several McGahern was concerned that the times with amused approval. He loved Catholic Church in Ireland in the the absence of preening self importance twentieth century would be seen in Bruton, something he saw in as Proust saw the French Catholic abundance in other politicians whom he Church in the eighteenth century, had grown up with. when he described it as ´the refuge of ignoramuses´. He himself, despite the In 1992 I asked John McGahern for a damage it had done to him, did not piece for a book of new writing from see it like that. In his essay he wrote Ireland that I was editing. He told me about the uplifting and exalting nature that he had written a piece about of Catholic ceremony, but did not ignore Catholicism, that he had finally set down the issue of Catholic authority, adding in words his feelings about the church. that ´much of the power that the Church He had said to me a number of times had in my youth has now gone in the that what North and South in Ireland South. In the North the power and had in common was a sort of insecurity structures have hardly changed at all, in how both states came into being that held in place by the glue of intertribal caused them to vie with each other to hatred and distrust.´ become even more sectarian, one an insecure Unionist state, the other an It hardly needs saying that McGahern insecure Catholic state. I presumed that viewed this intertribal hatred and his essay would dwell on that. I was disgust with horror. The idea for him of surprised by the essay, by how personal attacking your own neighbours was a it was, and how wise and forgiving. very shocking idea. He would say that if only people in Northern Ireland could It began ´I was born into Catholicism as improve their manners, then they might I might have been born in to Buddhism stop shooting each other, or when that or Protestantism or any of the other stopped, hating each other or disliking isms or sects, and brought up as a each other in ways that caused pain or Roman Catholic in the infancy of this the slightest form of civil disturbance. small state when the Church had almost McGahern himself was capable of great total power. It was the dominating force dislikes, but he saw no reason why in my whole upbringing, education anyone should stretch personal dislike and early working life. I have nothing into the public realm in any way; he saw but gratitude for the spiritual remnants no reason why he could not pass people

28 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 he disliked on the street with a polite himself, giving someone whose politics salute, and then go to his own house he disliked intensely a life and a charm and mind his own business. and a sort of stoical wisdom while refusing to gloss over the cruelty, the Towards the end of his final novel That fanaticism. In this encounter they talk of They Might Face the Rising Sun, John everything except their differences, but McGahern places an extraordinary eventually Jimmy Joe McKiernan, who encounter, which is clearly an encounter is McGirl, addresses Ruttledge, who is between thinly disguised versions of McGahern, directly on the subject. “You himself and the IRA leader John Joe don´t seem to have any interest in our McGirl, whom he knew as a neighbour. cause,” he says. “No,” Ruttledge said, “I When I asked him if the encounter had don´t like violence.” “You don´t believe in actually taken place, he said no, he had freedom, then.” “Our country is free.” “A imagined it. It was another example part of it is not free.” “That is a matter for of McGahern´s interest in dramatizing the other part. I don´t think it´s any of our opposites, including the opposite to business.” “I think differently. I believe

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 29 it is all our business.” Ruttledge knew that as he was neither a follower nor a leader he must look useless or worse than useless to this man of commitment and action. As far as Jimmy Joe was concerned he might as well be listening to the birds like an eejit on the far side of the lake, and he made no further attempt at speech.´

This business of offering to the other side a full effort at understanding in McGahern´s novel might be a metaphor for how progress will be made in Ireland, not only between the tribes within the North, or between the North and South, but between those who have health insurance and those who don´t in the Republic, or those who live west of the Bann or east of it in the North, or indeed between gay people in the Republic of whom I am one, and those who run our state who would offer our way of loving Bob Bain in the new Darkley Gospel Hall less respect than they would offer their own way of loving. Hatred, division, such was suspicious as well. And as I found lack of respect arise from a failure of myself asking her if she were born again, imagination. Quietly and modestly, John her face opened into a pure brightness McGahern understood that by practicing as she said that she was, and she gave his art he was offering the society which me her husband´s phone number and had wounded him a way out of its own said that if I wanted to come to the prejudices. It seemed to amuse him, or Sunday service I should ask him. The at least he never complained, that only congregation had dwindled, she said, some of us took him at his word. since the shooting, people were afraid. The border was just half a mile down Bob Bain: an independent spirit the road. Later, when I phoned Bob Bain he said that he had two questions I wish I had been able to introduce for me. One, was I member of the INLA him to Bob Bain. As I walked between and two, what religion was I. For the Keady and Darkley in south Armagh in first I said ‘no’ with as much conviction 1986 I had trouble finding Pastor Bain´s as I could muster, and for the second I house. When I did and when his wife uneasily told him that I was a Catholic. appeared, there was something about ´You know you must be born again,´ he her, something graceful, almost sweet said and I thought that he meant that I in her way of watching me, but she could not come to the service. But then

30 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 he explained that I would have to be or even when I watched him trying to born again for my life, but of course I expel the devil from a young girl, he had could come to the service. a way with him that was oddly innocent, likeable, bustling, busy with good intent. When I saw him that Sunday conducting When we talked, he made clear that he the service in what was more a wooden viewed the South where I came from as hut than a chapel, I realized that he a very foreign place indeed, but his main belonged to one of the oldest traditions interest was the state of my soul. Ten we have in Ireland, the tradition of the years later, when I came back, he had a old fashioned, born again preacher, brand new church built and he seemed the sort of man who flourished in the proud of it and filled with hope. By that Great Revival of 1859 when a hundred time I had learned to drive and some thousand people were born again. It Sundays I would go up to Darkley on was, I thought that day, terrible that I my own and attend his service. His face had never met a man like him before, would light up when I appeared, and he or even read much about his tradition, would walk past me winking as though even though I had studied history at we were both conspirators in something. university. It was one of those moments when the partition of Ireland seemed For a time, he was sure he had me, a to me immensely sad: my community new soul, but each time after a talk with in the South had been deprived of the him instead I would drive back to Dublin presence of men like Bob Bain as a unconverted but utterly inspired by his living, vibrant, fully accepted part of our good manners, the fierce independence religious and civic life. We could have of his spirit, his resilience, his charm, been nourished by the sheer difference. the hospitality of his congregation, and his hope. I didn´t agree with him, I never That day at the service he asked his even got to argue with him, there were congregation to sing the hymn for me things about myself that I certainly didn´t that they were singing three years earlier tell him. I didn´t share a religious belief when gunmen from the INLA came to with him, but I got something from him the outside door and shot the three men that I am grateful for. I wished on some who were standing there dead, and then of those visits that everyone in the South began to shoot through the thin wooden of Ireland could have known this man walls of the church. They shot low too. Not so they could feel sorry for because they knew the congregation him. He was not simply a victim of an was lying on the floor, and they injured act of terrorism committed in our name many members of Pastor Bain´s by those who looked for safe havens in congregation before they fled across the our country. He was a man who stood border to the South. alone, read the Bible on his own, put great thought into issues of civil and Pastor Bain was pure charm. When supreme authority and out of this had he preached against other religions in come a shining grace. favour of being born again as he was,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 31 Loneliness and dignity to the British Irish Association’s annual conference in Clare College One of the reasons why John McGahern Cambridge in September 2009. and Bob Bain may be important now is not merely for how they were picked on and how they survived and learned to live with themselves, and how they developed their forgiveness with elegance and style. But it is something else, something more melancholy. There was a loneliness about both of them. Although both of them stayed in Ireland, it was as though they kept one eye on exit routes and had their bags packed, at least metaphorically. It would not have mattered much to either of them, I think, if they had to leave the country. They would have been the same two men anywhere. And maybe this is why I wanted to dwell on them now because I think in the next decade, both South and North, many young people will leave Ireland, and they will do so for all sorts of reasons, and they will become themselves outside the confines or the comforts of home. In their loneliness and their fierce dignity, I wanted to invoke both John McGahern and Pastor Bain as two figures who in one way lived close to the border, a place others might have called home, but in a better way, in an exemplary way, they lived deeply and truthfully within themselves. It is as much as any of us can hope for.

Among Colm Toibin’s novels are The Master, a fictional account of a period in the life of the author Henry James, which was shortlisted for the 2004 Man Booker Prize and won the 2006 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and Brooklyn, which won the 2009 Costa Novel Award. This is the text of an address given

32 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Community development along the border: an instrument for the development of the cross-border region?

Brian Harvey

Community development began in Ireland in August 1891 with the formation of the Congested Districts Board for Ireland. The board used community development as a tool to improve the economic and social conditions of communities living along the west coast of Ireland and indeed, far inland. But, just as ‘the west’ was one of the main problematic issues of the Brian Harvey island at the end of the 19th century, the depressed conditions of the Irish border became one of the main problematic issues of the island a hundred years later, at the end of the 20th century. Despite being over sixty years old, the border region did not become a distinct area of economic and social attention until the 1980s1.

With the arrival of the reformed EU most to voluntary and community Structural Funds in 1989, the Irish organisations. The border region went border began to attract European from having one of the lowest levels of Union cross-border funding for investment in community development economic development in the form of to, over a very short period of time, one the INTERREG programmme. With of the highest in the island. the introduction of the EU PEACE programme in 1994, there was a These developments prompted the substantial investment in voluntary Cross Border Centre for Community and community organisations in the Development at Dundalk Institute of border counties. The originator of the Technology (DkIT) to investigate, a programme, President Jacques Delors, decade later, the nature of community assigned a high priority to the role of development along the border (this voluntary and community organisations being defined as 15 kilometres on in underpinning the peace process either side). In particular, it wished to and building social inclusion. Indeed, address the following questions: To what PEACE I saw the allocation of no less extent was community development than 15,000 grants during 1994-1999, an instrument for the economic and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 33 social development of the cross-border single number is to be found) and region? What kind of organisations then Newry. There are three minor functioned there, who did they work with concentrations: in descending order, and what could we find out about them? Armagh, Enniskillen and Strabane. There Did they work and cooperate across are few community development groups the border? What were the cross- in parts of Fermanagh on the northern border policy issues arising from their side and parts of Cavan-Leitrim on the work? Community development had southern side, but this reflects areas of been an instrument of economic and low population density. Small parish or social development in Northern Ireland district-based organisations featured since the 1960s2. In the Republic, especially strongly on the northern side the government had introduced the of the border, but their small number on Community Development Programme, the southern side was probably more a subsequently considered a model function of the databases used than an of good practice across Europe, in indication of their absence. 1987. Little, though, was known of the specificities of community development Most of the community development along or across the Irish border. organisations in the study area were formed in the late 1980s to late 1990s. The Dundalk IT investigation was based None was formed in the Republic on a survey of community development before 1981, but two in Northern Ireland organisations in the study area using before the 1970s. Historically, they are databases held by the Northern Ireland a new phenomenon and the surge of Council for Voluntary Action (for the investment represented by the PEACE North) and the Centre for Cross Border I programme is evident. Most of the Studies in Armagh (for the South); organisations in the Republic dated on interviews with stakeholders and to the PEACE programme period, but experts; and on case studies of 20 some pre-dated it in the North. All the community development organisations groups studied were formally constituted working across the border.3 This article as organisations, with management describes the outcomes and the committees or boards. policy issues arising. Here the terms ‘Northern Ireland’ and ‘the North’ are By size and funding, they comprised used interchangeably purely to break a mixture of small, parish-based the narrative, as are ‘the South’ and organisations (more so in Northern ‘the Republic’. Ireland, with incomes of less than £10,000 a year), medium size bodies Community development (mainly with PEACE programme organisations in the border region funding) and a small number of larger organisations with revenues over €1 The Dundalk IT mapping exercise found million (more so in the North). Many that there were two main concentrations groups were quite entrepreneurial, of community development attracting not only government funding, organisations: Derry (where the largest as might be expected, but raising

34 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5

money through fund-raising, sales and social economy, a category absent in services. The investigation confirmed the South. In summary, community earlier North-South studies which found development organisations along the the voluntary and community sector to border may be typologized as a few be more mature in Northern Ireland than large organisations, with substantial the Republic, a function of the presence revenues and large staff numbers; a of the welfare state in the North and cluster of medium-size organisations, the need for voluntary organization to with staff and volunteers, this being the deliver its social services.4 Community principal category in the Republic where development groups in the North were Social Employment Scheme workers better linked to ‘national’ (in the sense are used extensively; and smaller of Northern Ireland-wide) networks than organisations, without staff, this being those in the South, again indicating a an important group in Northern Ireland. higher level of development ( 87% in the North compared to 77% in the South). Cross-border cooperation

Typical organisations had an average Turning to the area of cross-border of 4.2 full-time staff in the Republic of cooperation, 62% of groups in Northern Ireland and 2.7 in Northern Ireland. Many Ireland and 85% of Southern groups northern organisations were so small worked across the border. The table as to have no staff at all. The typical illustrates the nature of that cooperation: group here had 10 to 12 volunteers. In the South, Social Employment NI RoI Schemes were used by no less than three-quarters of all organisations, Occasional 62% 33% with an average of 6.3 employees per Regular but informal 19% 29% organization, indicating a continued, Formal partnership 19% 38% substantial use of these schemes. When asked about their target groups, Again, the Southern figures are higher most described themselves as working the more intense the cross-border generically with local communities, relationship becomes, a point we return disadvantaged and socially excluded to later. The nature of their work was people. studied in more detail, with case studies of 20 organisations known to be active Specifically, the main target groups in cross-border cooperation covering were, in descending order, young such diverse fields as ex-prisoners, people, older people and unemployed arts, generic community development, people. Very few organisations were peace-building and reconciliation, found to be working with people with mental health, local development, disabilities or in environmental action. victims of the ‘Troubles’, second chance There were few women’s organisations, education, women, Travellers, and the although some groups were affiliated built environment. Here, the objectives to women’s networks. In the North, were to see whether there was a a number of groups worked in the ‘typical’ cross border project and to

36 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 try to capture the dynamics of such a ideal of economic and social integration project’s relationship. between North and South, and the aspiration for improved socio-economic Typically, organisations were ten years conditions for their locality, county or old. Many had opened contacts or region. begun their work during the time of the PEACE I programme in the 1990s. Most A second, intriguing finding was the projects, though, involved individuals different organisational and structural who had longstanding cross-border forms which cross-border cooperation contacts that went back many years took. Several forms were evident: before, even during the worst times of the ‘Troubles’. Groups here were typical • ‘Twin pairs’. Two organisations of organisations that had received working in cooperation with one start-up money during PEACE I and another for mutual learning, coming benefitted from the more substantial together purely to execute a single programme grants of PEACE II (2000- time-limited project, but each 2006). Typical projects involved two retaining its organisational structure staff (often one full-time and one (e.g. Donegal Travellers Project; part-time) with a committee of eight Newhaven Trust); to ten activists. These were often • ‘Twin pairs’ but with joint ‘serial activists’ and involved in other committee. Here two organisations community based organisations, often worked together, but had a common sporting (e.g. Gaelic Athletic Association) working committee, drawn in equal or educational (e.g. local schools). numbers from each parent body (e.g. Riverbrooke, Mind the Gap); One of the key findings was the key • Transboundary. Here, an role played by individual leadership, organization based in one jurisdiction although such ‘leaders’ were universally expanded into the other (but without modest people who played down their setting up another body to work own significance. It was apparent that in the other jurisdiction). This was many of these projects were initiated a northern phenomenon, brought and subsequently driven by one person, about when Northern Ireland-based who had a vision of and passion for organisations began to provide cross-border work and cross-border either services in the Republic (e.g. development and was prepared to STEER in mental health services) commit considerable time and energy to or attracted members there (e.g. such a venture, some a lifetime. These people who were victims of the were not misty-eyed visionaries, but ‘Troubles’); people with a hands-on appreciation of • Cluster. This was an organisational the practical difficulties of bridging gaps form in which a cluster of and differences. Often they appeared to organisations came together for a be motivated by a combination of the project, but was anchored by one desire for reconciliation between the organization, normally in the North nationalist and unionist communities, the (e.g. Derry Well Woman Centre in

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 37 the area of women’s health); now become routine, this did not • Single company partnership. mean that it had become easy. Many This was probably the purest form commented on how slow it still was and of cross-border organization, that the pace was still set by the slowest with a single company and a partner. Northern organisations were single management, based in more than prepared to work across the one jurisdiction, operating freely border now, but wanted to take one across the border zone. This step cautiously at a time so as to bring type of body had probably the all their members along. Courtships strongest commitment to integrated leading to regular or formal partnerships development and organisationally generally started from the South, as the attempted to deny the border as above table indicates. an obstacle. Most were based in Northern Ireland and typically Cross-border working was also more called themselves ‘partnerships’ expensive, the two main complaints (e.g. Sliabh Beagh Cross-Border being the cost of mobile phone calls, Partnership, DergFinn Partnership, which even if they were only a kilometre Tyrone Donegal Partnership). away attracted high, cross-border rates; and the lack of helpfulness by Traditionally, the history of cross- banks in handling two currencies, with border cooperation in Europe has the occasional imposition of double been a narrative of progression from conversion charges. All organisations ‘first contact’ between pairs engaged found funding a big struggle. Many in back-to-back development; to funding schemes provided grants for cooperation in projects that traverse only a year or two at a time, creating a borders; and finally to devolved, level of uncertainty that made it difficult integrated, single company operations to attract or retain staff. An additional working in such a way as to minimize complication was that some fields of and eventually eliminate the distorting work which attracted funding in one effects of land borders. The experience jurisdiction did not do so in the other, of the Irish border shows that these a good example being improvements trajectories are more complex and that to the physical environment, where there was no natural progression from there was no funding scheme for ‘first contact’ to ‘pure partnership’. voluntary and community organisations Moreover, the number of ‘pure’ cross- in the Republic. One was left with the border partnerships was limited to single impression that these organisations had figures and there was little evidence achieved much with little. of new ones in formation. Some of these partnerships were inspired by An important finding was that although the International Fund for Ireland, but in voluntary and community organisations organisational form they seem to have had now learned to work across the reached a plateau. border - indeed, it was no longer ‘news’ for the local press - governments had Although cross-border working had not. Implementation of legislation was

38 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 different, to the extent that (as one required to turn away people with environmental project reported) shooting southern addresses; an arts project lost wildlife illegally on one side of the border its grant for ecumenically but foolishly would earn a fine or worse on one side, holding an event 250 metres ‘on the but no penalty on the other; and fire other side’; and one playgroup in the engines could put out a mountain fire up North found an official noting down to the borderline on one side, but not Donegal-registered plates so as to douse the flames a metre away on the question southern participants what other. One statutory body might fund a were they doing there! These incidents cross-border housing project from the might be amusing were it not that they northern side, but this was no good if identified such an extraordinary level of the southern opposite number was inflexibility in the bureaucratic mind and not interested. the still deadening legacy of back-to- back development. Especially absurd were funding restrictions which prohibited It would be easy to portray these issues participation from people from the one as minor irritants, but they went further side of the border at a location on the than that. Not only were they operational other. Thus one men’s health cross- obstacles to voluntary and community border project based in the North was activity and contrary to the imperatives

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 39 of European integration, but they imaginative strand to fund cross-border negatively affected the quality of life and activity for voluntary and community efforts to turn the region into a desirable organisations: Priority 3 - Civic and place in which to live. What was more Community Networking. This was a real frustrating still was that voluntary breakthrough and was, unsurprisingly, organisations were rebuffed when they oversubscribed fourfold. suggested to statutory authorities that they should get their act together and try Perhaps the most extraordinary to sort out these difficulties. feature of cross-border funding was the absence of a commitment to Positively, though, there was evidence cross-border cooperation by voluntary that models of good practice in one and community organisations from jurisdiction were successfully applied the two governments. This might to the other. Most of the traffic was be understandable in the case of from the North to the South and Northern Ireland, but granted the was evident in the fields of mental iconic significance of the border to the health, volunteering and projects to Republic’s government, its absence improve the physical environment. was more difficult to comprehend. Here, southern organisations began to While the Irish Department for Foreign emulate the activities and approach of Affairs operated a small ‘reconciliation organisations in the North which had fund’ for voluntary and community experience and a track record in these organisations, it was precisely that, areas. A weakness of the cross-border a reconciliation fund, not a fund for projects generally, although there were cross-border cooperation. And it was exceptions, was that few had the time not that the government’s attention to document and disseminate their work had not been drawn to the issue, comprehensively and develop the policy for Cooperation Ireland had been issues arising. The struggle for funding vocal about the problem ever since took precedence, to the extent that the it was established. Ninety years policy focus of projects was limited and after partition, the two governments the lessons arising were not fed into the had still to work out strategies to political and administrative systems. support cross-border cooperation by civil society organisations. Many Staying with the funding picture, a voluntary and community organisations striking feature was the limited number voiced the suspicion that so long as of funding opportunities for cross- European funding was there, they could border activity. Apart from the PEACE comfortably postpone facing the issue. programmes, which included strands to fund cross-border activities, the only The issue is actually more profound other significant funding opportunity than that, and an extraordinary example was INTERREG III (2000-2006). The of a lost opportunity. In the case of first two INTERREG programmes in the community development, there was 1990s had been entirely governmental, and is no institute to support such work but INTERREG III included an in either part of the island. The border

40 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 The Sliabh Beagh hills on the Monaghan-Tyrone border: the Sliabh Beagh Cross-border Partnership is one of the very few examples of a ‘single company’ cross-border partnership region of the island provided an unusual Policy issues arising example in Europe of an intense level of community development in a border The single most important policy issue region coming out of conflict, one where was the question of how the issues the Irish experience could be most arising from community development useful to other countries. In his masterly along the border could be channelled Ireland 1912-85, Lee identified as one into the administrative political system of the most serious problems in the so as to ensure the socio-economic island’s development experience our development of the border region. inability to develop self-knowledge and European research has shown how build our own intellectual infrastructure, good levels of cross-border cooperation, especially in those areas in which we both at governmental level and at civil actually excel5. The Workers Educational society level, can transform border Association in Belfast pressed the idea zones from ‘problem’ regions into areas of a community development institute, of prosperity, the best example being the one which could support such activity Meuse-Rhine triangle between Germany, across the island, but the Department Netherlands and Belgium. Indeed, the of Social Development there was not investment of PEACE I programme even prepared to enter a preliminary funding from the mid-nineties onwards discussion on the topic. was such that within a few years, the border counties (with the one exception of Donegal) were no longer at the top of the list of the poorest counties of

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 41 the Republic: the geographical locus society, comprising the social partners of poverty shifted to the midlands and and other members with expertise in the south east. A feature of the PEACE social, cultural, economic and other I programme was that it included a issues’ (not be confused with the Civic Consultative Forum of voluntary and Forum established under the Agreement community organisations so that their and limited to Northern Ireland). Article concerns could be channelled back to 22 of the St Andrews Agreement of their respective governments. October 2006 renewed this commitment by stating that ‘the Northern Ireland Unfortunately, that was as far as it got. Executive would support the When the PEACE II programme was establishment of an independent north/ ushered in, there was no Consultative south Consultative Forum appointed Forum. No explanation was given and by the two administrations and the PEACE II programme documents representative of civil society’. made no reference to it. It was simply airbrushed out of history, as surely as in The continued absence of a formal an official Soviet history of undesirable civil society dimension in cross- people and events. Without such a border cooperation remains a point forum, the policy issues arising from of extraordinary weakness in the Irish the cross-border work of voluntary and cross-border relationship. Examples community organisations had no home from other parts of Europe show that where the issues could be progressed. people-to-people cooperation is given Instead, they must be pursued prominence, funding, permanence and separately within the two jurisdictions, institutional expression in successful whose lack of cooperation was often cross-border relationships6. Such at the root of these policy problems cross-border cooperation is strongly in the first place. In this situation, focussed on social policy cooperation: problems will continue to be addressed health, childcare, older people, in the traditional, back-to-back way by education, health and social services governments and statutory bodies that and young people7. To give an example seem unable to act or work coherently in the area of health services, several across borders. They are channelled countries have developed cross-border into the political system by border region health zones where citizens from deputies, senators and MLAs who one side of the border can use the continue to be marginal in a political health services of another, and on the process dominated by the demands Spanish-French border at Puigcerda in of the respective capitals of Dublin and the eastern Pyrenees a cross-border Belfast. They cannot find institutional hospital is opening. By contrast, health expression. services along the Irish border remain incompatible - not just a function of Article 19 of the Good Friday Agreement the apparently intractable difficulties of proposed ‘an independent Consultative integrating two different systems, but, at Forum appointed by the two least as important, the lack of a forum administrations, representative of civic where civil society is present and where

42 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 these difficulties could be resolved. South Ministerial Council finds few Not only that, but a related problem is activities in these areas, the closest the perception by both governments being in the health and environmental that cross-border cooperation should areas. be principally around economic issues, rather than the social concerns that When the two governments would come to the fore in ‘people-to- commissioned their most recent scoping people’ cooperation. At the core of this study of North-South cooperation, their is the fact that social policy is not at the focus was on economic cooperation, heart of the North-South relationship. science, technology, innovation, trade, Neither social policy in general nor tourism, investment and enterprise8. community development in particular Although there was a chapter on the were specified areas of cooperation €68 billion on infrastructure which the under the Good Friday Agreement. two governments planned to spend Examination of the work of the North by 2017, this did not include a single

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 43 cent for community infrastructure, seamlessly, uninterrupted by the earlier nor was there any reference to social ceasefires of 1923 and 1963. Pro-active policy, community development, nor measures and investment are necessary governance structures. The only social to re-build conflicted border regions, policy area where progress has been and here the PEACE programme was made was free travel schemes for the crucial catalyst for the regeneration pensioners. For all the expectation of the border region generally, and for that community development groups community development and cross- would do the legwork of peace and border cooperation by voluntary and reconciliation, there was remarkably little community organisations in particular. recognition of their activities in the bigger It raised the expectations of people North-South debate, nor in investment like social entrepreneurs who would decisions. The Republic’s government like to turn the border region into a seemed to have a limited understanding desirable place in which to live, a model of the need for investment in ‘soft’ social of reconciliation and cross-border infrastructure: ‘it could find the money integration, one of balanced economic, for subsidising Derry airport, but not social and sustainable development. for community development’, said one critic. Although there was a strong focus The Dundalk IT study has enabled us on trade integration, business links to get a clearer picture of the nature, and commercial partnerships, ‘we still extent and characteristics of community don’t even have a common directory of development along the Irish border. It voluntary and community organisations provided a portrait of how voluntary and and social enterprises’, said another. community organisations cooperate across the border; the organisational Conclusion forms and trajectories they follow; a sense of the issues arising; a map of For much of the century to the the way forward, and the formidable mid-1990s, the experience of the institutional, political and mindset Irish border was one of conflict and problems that have yet to be overcome. ever-deepening social deprivation and isolation. The intervention of EU Postscript: not a happy ending yet President Jacques Delors in bringing the PEACE programme to Ireland showed Sadly, this story does not yet seem a profound grasp of history, politics to have a happy ending. The idea of and social policy in general, and the a North-South Consultative Forum dynamic of conflicted cross-border failed to progress even when the regions in particular. His underlying other institutions of the Good Friday assumption was that a problematic, Agreement were restored. Although conflicted border region would not in October 2009 an exasperated prosper purely in the absence of Department of the Taoiseach convened violence: indeed throughout the 20th a meeting in Dublin of interested parties century the economic and social decline to progress the idea, it became clear of the Irish border region continued that it could go no further without the

44 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 cooperation of the Office of the First at the end of 2008 within weeks of the Minister and Deputy First Minister completion of this study. in Northern Ireland. It seems that opposition to civil society is not just a Brian Harvey is an independent historic phenomenon limited to the old social researcher who lives in régimes of eastern and central Europe Dublin and works for organisations in the 1980s. On the funding side, concerned with community the situation went backward as the development, social inclusion and INTERREG III programme’s promise equality in both parts of Ireland. He of Civic and community networking was the author of the 2008 Dundalk turned out to be a false dawn. Both Institute of Technology study: Audit the INTERREG IV programme and of community development in the the PEACE III programme (both cross border region. 2007-2013) were governmentalized, with a diminished role for voluntary and community organisations, the REFERENCES bulk of funding being routed through government bodies and especially local 1. Harvey, Brian; Kelly, Assumpta; government. McGearty, Sean & Murray, Sonya: The emerald curtain - the social Attempts to develop a North-South impact of the border in Ireland. Voluntary and Community Sector Forum Triskele,Carrickmacross, 2005. were initiated by the Department for Social Development in Belfast. Although 2. McCready, Sam: Empowering people several meetings took place, it fell into - community development and conflict, disuse because of lack of support 1969-99. Belfast, The Stationery Office from its opposite number in Dublin. Ireland, with the Centre for Voluntary Worse was to follow, for in the Republic Action Studies, Coleraine, 2001. the government, in implementing drastic funding cutbacks, effectively 3. Harvey, Brian: Audit of community repudiated community development as development in the cross border an instrument to assist disadvantaged region. Dundalk,Institute of Technology, communities, closing in 2009 the 2008. The case studies are: internationally acclaimed Community Riverbrooke (Riverstown, Co Sligo Development Programme and with Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh); withdrawing funding from the most vocal the Second Chance Education voluntary and community organisations9. Project, Donegal and Tyrone; EXPAC, The Combat Poverty Agency, which had Monaghan; Beyond Borders, Dundalk funded community development groups Institute of Technology; Kiltycashel in the border region and was a delivery Partnership; Dergfinn Partnership; body for the PEACE programmes, was Communities Connect; The HURT abolished. And in a final endnote, the Group; Donegal Travellers Project, Cross Border Centre for Community Letterkenny; STEER, Derry; Upstate Development in Dundalk was closed Theatre Company, Drogheda; Newhaven

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 45 Trust, Newry; FLS Partnership [Fermanagh, Leitrim, Sligo]; Sliabh Beagh Partnership; Tyrone-Donegal Partnership; An Teach Ban, Downings, Co Donegal; Mind the Gap, Letterkenny; Newry Confederation of Community Groups and Derry Well Woman Centre.

4. Acheson, Nick; Harvey, Brian; Kearney, Jimmy & Williamson, Arthur: Two paths, one purpose - voluntary action in Ireland, north and south. Dublin, Institute for Public Administration with Centre for Voluntary Action Studies, Coleraine, 2005.

5. Lee, Joe: Ireland 1912 - 85: politics and society. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989.

6. Meijer, Rob: ‘A borderline case’ in No Frontiers: north-south integration in Ireland, Democratic Dialogue, Belfast, 1999.

7. LACE: Socio-cultural cooperation in Infosheet on cross-border cooperation, No 5, June 1998. Association of European Border Regions, Gronau, Germany 1998.

8. FitzGerald, John and others: Comprehensive study on the all-island economy. Newry, InterTradeIreland, 2006.

9. O Broin, Deric & Kirby, Peadar (Eds): Power, dissent and democracy. Dublin, AA Farmer, 2009.

46 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 A sense of proportion in cross- border shopping: what the most recent statistics show Eoin Magennis, Steve MacFeely and Aidan Gough

Since late 2008 the issue of cross-border shopping has been a favourite topic of media interest and speculation. Stories emerged around Christmas 2008 about ASDA in Enniskillen being the sixth top performing store in the global Wal-Mart chain 1 worldwide. Around the same time Irish Minister of Eoin Magennis Finance, Brian Lenihan, made the comment that ‘people should do their patriotic duty’ and shop locally rather than across the border.2 The response from the retail industry lobby groups, North and South, has fed the story. One claim was that every 150 cross-border trips costs one retail job in Ireland. Contestable, headline grabbing statements such as ‘British shops’ war on Irish’, and ‘Shoppers going North are not traitors’ fuelled misguided perceptions.3 Steve MacFeely Unfortunately, much of what has been written is based on an imprecise extrapolation from small sample-based surveys and anecdotal evidence from shop owners. In the absence of robust statistics, a sense of perspective on cross-border shopping was in danger of being lost.

Aidan Gough

In February 2009 the Office of the the implications for the Irish exchequer’ Revenue Commissioners and the and recommended that the best way Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the to measure the loss in Irish tax revenue Republic published a report entitled The would be a survey of cross-border Implications of Cross Border Shopping shoppers. for the Irish Exchequer. The report highlighted the ‘significant difficulties As a result, a module on cross-border associated with quantifying the extent of shopping was included on the Quarterly cross-border shopping and estimating National Household Survey (QNHS) in

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 47 the second quarter (April to June) of became an inhibitor, with a significant 2009.4 One member of each household drop to fewer than 5% going to shop in the Republic answered questions on in the North. In individual regions this behalf of the household about travel figure was even lower: 4% in the South to Northern Ireland in the previous 12 East; 3% in the Mid-West and 2% in months and specifically about shopping the South-West. It is noteworthy that in Northern Ireland. The questions on results from the Household Travel Survey shopping in Northern Ireland focussed identify the same pattern, with most on how much households spent, the tourism traffic into Northern Ireland frequency of shopping trips and whether from counties north of the Wicklow- this had changed in the previous year. Galway axis. The survey also asked about intentions for shopping in Northern Ireland in the In terms of whether or not there has following year. As a result, we are now in been a sudden upsurge in cross-border a position to take a more informed view shopping activity from the Republic of cross-border shopping from Ireland to Northern Ireland, the QNHS tells into Northern Ireland. us that in 2008-2009 only one in ten households did more cross-border Key Findings shopping than in previous years. In terms of intentions for the year 2009- How many and how often? 2010, 78% of respondents did not intend to cross the border to shop, while According to the Quarterly National 14% would occasionally go for ‘once- Household Survey, 16% of the Republic off’ purchases and 7% more regularly. of Ireland’s households made at least Regular cross-border shoppers tended, one shopping trip to Northern Ireland again not surprisingly, to be from the in the 12 months before the second Border region, with almost one quarter quarter of 2009. Looking only at the (23%) of households from the Border 16% of households who shopped in region intending to shop regularly in Northern Ireland, the average number Northern Ireland. of trips was 6.7 (equivalent to just over one for every household in the Republic There is a similar regional variation in the of Ireland). frequency of trips. Of those households who shopped in Northern Ireland, those The highest proportion of households in the Border region travelled more who shopped in Northern Ireland was, than once a month (14.4 trips in the as might be expected, recorded in the 12 months). None of the other regions Border region (41%). There was then a recorded frequencies of higher than five gap to the next nearest regions: the Mid- trips, with travellers from the far south East (22%), Dublin (21%), the Midlands crossing the border only twice to shop. (18%) and the West (14%). How much? Unsurprisingly, below a line from Wicklow to Galway the costs of The Quarterly National Household travelling or lack of market knowledge Survey estimates that the total Irish

48 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 A Dublin woman loads her car outside a Newry shopping centre. household expenditure on shopping tending to spend more. Those in Northern Ireland in the year up to households from the far south spent April 2009 was €435 million. Estimated more than three times on their most expenditure on shopping was based on recent trip than their counterparts in the all trips to Northern Ireland, including Border region (€492 compared to €150, €331 million in trips specifically for or a ratio of 3.1). This is also reflected shopping and €104 million on trips in the expenditure bands, with 88% of where shopping was not the main those from the Border region spending purpose but shopping expenditure was less than €299 and none above €1,000. incurred. The highest total expenditure on shopping was recorded in the Border For what? region (€181 million) and in the Dublin region (€119 million). The lowest total The Quarterly National Household expenditure on shopping was in the Survey goes on to provide some details Mid-West (€8 million), South-West on what Irish households bought in (€13 million) and South-East regions Northern Ireland. On their most recent (€11 million). Most people (51%) spent trip, 79% of households bought between €100 and €299 per trip, with groceries, 44% bought alcohol, 42% only 4% spending more than €1,000 on bought clothing and durables, 26% their most recent trip. cosmetics and 19% ‘other’.

Again the regional variations hold However, the idea that cheaper alcohol strongly, with people who travelled is the key reason for cross-border furthest (and least number of times) shopping is not supported by the figures

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 49 for what people spent on different expenditure estimate is based on the 12 categories. Those questioned said that month period from the second quarter on their most recent trip, groceries of 2008 on and thus includes the 2008 accounted for 40% of expenditure, Christmas period. clothing and durables for 27%, ‘other’ for 18%, alcohol for 11% and cosmetics Some conclusions for 4%. The first point about the Quarterly Again, there are regional and household National Household Survey is it shows variations in what people bought on that cross-border shopping has their most recent cross-border shopping increased but remains a minority pursuit. trips. The exception to this rule is the Of all households in the South, 84% did alcohol category, with all regions around not shop in the North in the 12 months the 11% average. Significant variations before the second quarter of 2009. Of include households in the Border region those that did, one in three either did the spending almost two thirds on groceries, same amount of shopping or less than while those from Dublin and the far in previous years. In the 12 months after south spent significantly above the the second quarter of 2009 only 7% of average on clothing and durables. households said they intended to cross the border regularly to shop. Table 1 uses the overall figure of €435 million in expenditure in the year up to Secondly, geography matters, with the April 2009 to give figures for each of the attraction of cross-border shopping categories. lessening with distance from the border. Curiosity may take some shoppers In terms of seasonality, or the important from Munster to Northern Ireland, but ‘Christmas effect’ on retail, this overall this appears to be outweighed by the

Table 1: Total cross-border shopping expenditures by category

Type of goods % of average expenditure Total amount of purchased on most recent shopping expenditure in trip previous 12 months (€m)

Groceries* 39.8 173.1 Clothing & Durables** 26.8 116.6 Other 18.5 80.5 Alcohol 11.2 48.7 Cosmetics 3.7 16.1

Source: Calculations based on QNHS (December 2009) Notes: *Includes tobacco **Includes TVs, furniture etc

50 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 transport costs and time involved.5 done the same or less. This supports Indeed, the slightly higher proportions the idea that the Border counties have of cross-border shoppers in eastern a more established pattern of shopping counties may reflect the better road and and to some degree act as a functional public transport infrastructure serving shopping unit.6 that corridor into Northern Ireland. Also, given the amounts spent and on what Fourthly, despite the anecdotal evidence by shoppers from the far south, it is hard and claims of interest groups, alcohol to escape the conclusion that people is not the primary expenditure category travelled longer distances for ‘once-off’ for Southern shoppers. Although almost purchases rather than for savings on half of households bought some alcohol food and drink. This ‘mental distance’ on their most recent shopping trip, it is also reflected in tourism patterns, is only the fourth (out of five) largest where people from Munster rarely travel spending categories with only 11% of to the border counties, let alone to expenditure. Northern Ireland. There is, of course, the more rational cost-benefit issue: to Interestingly, the close alignment of compensate for the time and cost of cross-border shopping patterns with travelling to the North from Munster, the private consumption basket used to the expenditure must be high. This is compile the Republic’s Consumer Price comparable to the unusually high level Index (CPI) suggests that the bulk of of shopping expenditure evident from cross-border shopping is straightforward tourists travelling to New York in substitute shopping, with people buying recent years. cheaper cross-border items in the same proportion as they normally buy them at Thirdly, the Southern Border counties home. Comparing the Quarterly National are critical to cross-border shopping, Household Survey spending patterns though even in this region a majority with the CPI basket is necessarily crude, (59%) are ‘domestic in-shoppers’. More as the CPI provides detailed expenditure than one in ten shoppers from this breakdowns whereas QNHS region travel across the border more respondents are asked to classify their than once a month, making a cross- expenditure into five broad categories7. border trip a normal part of shopping Nevertheless, when the CPI basket patterns. However this may have been is adjusted and rescaled to exclude the case long before the current trend. services, motor fuels and consumption In the Southern Border region there of alcohol on licensed premises, the is almost an equal split among cross- similarity between the two baskets is border shoppers between those who striking (see Table 2 on next page). have shopped more across the border in the previous 12 months and those This comparison, crude as it is, who have done the same or less. In suggests a number of things. Firstly, every other region, the split is more like it dispels the myth that purchases of two to one between those who have alcohol are the primary motivation for shopped more and those who have cross-border shopping. It also suggests

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 51 Table 2: Comparison between Consumer Price Index and QNHS cross-border shopping baskets

Basket Categories Cross-Border Shopping CPI excl Services etc. % %

Groceries 39.8 47.8 Clothing & Durables 26.8 29.1 Other 18.5 8.6 Alcohol 11.2 10.3 Cosmetics 3.7 4.2 100.0 100.0

that, notwithstanding occasional and ‘meals out’. Finally the Quarterly National often considerable once-off purchases, Household Survey may also include the basket for a typical cross-border non-consumer durables that will have no shopping excursion is broadly similar comparator in the CPI basket. to the average basket purchased by households in Republic of Ireland, i.e. Finally, at the macroeconomic level, the the bulk of cross-border shopping is Quarterly National Household Survey normal day-to-day shopping. estimates the total figure for household expenditure in the 12 months up to the Again caution should be stressed. second quarter of 2009 at €435 million. This comparison is crude and some This figure sits close to the range of uncertainty exists as to what the ‘other’ estimates provided by CSO and the category in the QNHS includes. It could Revenue Commissioners in February include misclassified fuel or durables. 2009 (as detailed in Table 3), albeit at There may also be some unexplained the lower end. variations around the classification of

Table 3: Estimates and forecast of the value of cross-border shopping

Year Estimated value of cross-border shopping 2007* €210-340 million 2008* €350-550 million 2008/09** €435 million 2009* (forecast) €450-700 million

Notes: * Figures from ‘The Implications of Cross-Border Shopping for the Irish Exchequer’ (February 2009) ** Figure from QNHS (December 2009)

52 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5

The €435 million figure from the Northern Ireland in the 12 months QNHS is likely to provide a more up to April 2009 would result in an accurate estimate of total household estimated loss to the Irish exchequer of expenditure than the earlier estimate of approximately €45 million in VAT receipts €450-700 million in the CSO/Revenue and €25 million in excise duty. This Commissioners’ report. This larger amounts to less than 0.5% of total Irish forecast was based on what Irish Government VAT and excise revenue shoppers spent in ASDA and Sainsburys and less than 3% of total VAT receipts (branches of which exist in Northern accrued from retail expenditure. Ireland only) and on data provided by only some of the supermarket chains It’s not new… that operate in both jurisdictions or in Republic of Ireland only.8 Moreover this is not a new phenomenon. Back in 1988 an ESRI Summary report estimated that cross-border shopping amounted to 2% of ‘national’ A sense of proportion retail expenditure.9 Using the Quarterly National Household Survey figures and The Quarterly National Household Republic of Ireland’s total household Survey results offer the opportunity to retail consumption for 2009 (€30.7bn bring a sense of proportion into the excluding alcohol)10, it appears that debate on cross-border shopping that cross border shopping accounts for less has been missing to date. While the than 1.4% of total retail expenditure. 2009 QNHS (April-June) shows that one in ten households shopped more Flows in the other direction… frequently in Northern Ireland than the previous year, it is also clear that, The fact that cross-border shopping is outside of the Southern Border region, not new should be a reminder that a there are only very modest levels of jurisdictional border is always associated cross-border shopping. For all other with movements of goods, services and regions in Ireland, the average numbers people (both legal and illegal), and that of shopping trips per household was the balance often fluctuates depending less than or equal to one per year. on economic issues such as tax, cost Indeed, there is almost no cross-border of living and currency movements, and shopping taking place in households in on social and political developments the Mid-West, South-West and South- which can have impacts on different East regions. Only 7% of households sectors of the economy. Spending in the Republic said they intended to by tourists undoubtedly benefits the shop regularly in the North during the South more than the North, at least in 12 months following the second quarter absolute terms. The purchasing of cars of 2009. has been sensitive to both price and tax differences and currently favours The QNHS estímate of €435 million Northern sellers and Southern buyers. spent by Southern households in Then there is the issue of fuel, which

54 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 can be traded across the border both developing and implementing legally and illegally. The tax differences business and economic research on here have benefited Southern retailers the island economy. for most of the past decade, with an estimate in 2005 (by the Northern Ireland Steve MacFeely is Director of Affairs Committee at Westminster) that Business Statistics at the Central up to £20 million per year in UK excise Statistics Office, where he is duty was being lost to fuel purchases responsible for the production in the South, a figure that is not far and dissemination of agriculture, removed from the excise currently being building and construction, industrial lost to the Irish Exchequer from cross- services, foreign affiliate, energy, border shopping. innovation and R&D, prices, transport and tourism statistics. Longer-term benefits Aidan Gough is Director of Strategy The level of and interest in cross-border and Policy with InterTradeIreland, shopping indicates a new level of where he is responsible for transparency that will ultimately benefit developing its strategic direction the sector. Increased availability of as it seeks to deliver its legislative information and the removal of barriers mandate. (which the improved cross-border road infrastructure has contributed to) stimulate market competition which REFERENCES ultimately leads to cost and price reductions. We have already seen some 1. ‘Tills ring out in Enniskillen as cross- supermarket giants taking steps to border trade soars’, Belfast News-Letter, reduce prices on the southern side of 16 December 2008. the border. 2. This was widely reported at the time The inclusion by the Central Statistics and resulted in some sharp responses: Office of a module on cross-border see ‘Apology sought from Lenihan over shopping in the Quarterly National “unpatriotic” shopping in Newry’, Irish Household Survey has brought a sense Times, 9 December 2008. The charge of perspective to the sometimes emotive was laid again last year by the Tánaiste, subject of cross-border shopping. Mary Coughlan: see ‘Minister urges This will allow for a more informed and people to shop locally’, Irish Times, 16 reasoned debate on the issue, which November 2009. can only help cross-border cooperation and policy development to further 3. See ‘One job lost for every 150 trips mutual benefit. across the Border’, Irish Independent, . 30 November 2009; ‘British shops’ Eoin Magennis is Policy Research war on Irish’, Irish Mail, 12 November Manager with InterTradeIreland, 2009; and ‘Shoppers going North where he is responsible for are not traitors’, Irish Independent,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 55 26 November 2009. These headlines Williams, An analysis of cross-border capture something of the tone of media shopping, ESRI General Research coverage. However there has been more Papers 137 (1988), and Tanja Dmitrovic nuanced analysis from the economist and Irena Vida, ‘An examination of Jim O’Leary, ‘Going North to shop may cross-border shopping behaviour in prevent economy going south’, Irish South-East Europe’, European Journal Times, 12 December 2008, and in a of Marketing, 41/3 (2007), 382-395. recent discussion on Irish Economy blog: see http://www.irisheconomy.ie/ 7. Alcohol, cosmetics, groceries index.php/2009/12/11/cso-on-cross- (including tobacco), clothing and border-shopping/#comments durables, and other.

4. For full results see http://www.cso.ie/ 8. The estimated losses of these releasespublications/documents/labour_ latter two, apparently to cross-border market/current/qnhs_xborder.pdf shopping, were complicated by lost business to the overall economic 5. One interesting point is that 15% of downturn. Therefore, comparisons were shoppers from the South-West used made in relative performance between the plane to travel to Northern Ireland stores in border regions against those (i.e from Cork to Belfast). The ‘time further south. involved’ point comes from a survey of 500 cross-border shoppers carried out 9. This figure is taken from Fitzgerald, in June 2009 which found that 87% of Whelan and Williams, An analysis of these shoppers would only travel for up cross-border shopping. to one hour to ‘save a quarter on their grocery bill’. See Mintel, The Impact of 10. Calculation based on the authors’ Cross-border Shopping (Irish Series, estimate – using 2007 figures for retail August 2009). consumption and the Retail Sales Index since that year. 6. A topic for further research is the degree to which a cross-border shopping hinterland on the island of Ireland may be different from other European regions. The ‘Reviving the Border Region Economy in a new era of peace and devolved government’ research project, being carried out for the Centre for Cross Border Studies by a team led by Professors John Bradley and Michael Best, has a shopping module that will compare the Irish border with the German/Polish one. This will build on previous research: John Fitzgerald, Brendan Whelan and James

56 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Dissolving Boundaries in North-South education

Roger Austin

In 1998 the then Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, took part in a historic video-conference link between two schools, one in Northern Ireland and the other in the Republic of Ireland. It was the first time that political leaders had used this technology in schools. This ‘virtual’ meeting between the two heads of state with two classes of Roger Austin students and their teachers led to a programme which has steadily expanded every year and has now reached 370 schools, 740 teachers and 26,600 students. The leaders’ meeting was the start of the Dissolving Boundaries project, managed by the Schools of Education at the University of Ulster and National University of Ireland Maynooth.

After more than a decade of work, it that it is often extremely difficult to seems like a good time to ask: persuade the Protestant community in • What exactly has the programme Northern Ireland to get involved. In spite achieved? of the achievements of the 1998 Good • What lessons for the future, if any, Friday Agreement, there remain large might be drawn from Dissolving pockets of suspicion on the northern Boundaries’ experience? side of the border about a possible In considering lessons learned, we united Ireland and whether an organised would like to consider both the island of North-South school link would be Ireland and elsewhere. We have used supported by parents and governors. three illustrative case studies of partner Here is the principal of a rural, controlled schools to consider these questions. (i.e. predominantly Protestant) primary The first case study is from two primary school reflecting on how his school schools. became involved in the Dissolving Boundaries programme four years ago: 1. Changing community attitudes through primary school links The parents had sort of indicated that it was ok to do it, but coming Anyone who has tried to open dialogue from a very difficult area here we across the border in Ireland knows needed to tread carefully. This

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 57 is a loyalist stronghold. We have this to mean that there should be people here whose relations, sufficient similarity in terms of age, ability whose husbands or whatever have and aspiration for there to be enough been shot and murdered. So it’s a common ground for dialogue to particularly entrenched area, and take place. with so much accountability in schools now coming from parents’ But to suggest that cross-border views, we feel a wee bit vulnerable educational links are only a problem for sometimes in terms of taking on schools in Northern Ireland would be a new projects. mistake. The principal of the Republic of Ireland school linked to the one The class teacher directly involved described above painted a picture of in the programme commented on her rural school that was in its own way how little contact the pupils had with isolated and somewhat drawn in children from ‘down South’, and how upon itself. the school had involved parents from the very beginning, including them in We are a very small rural community. the face to face visit that was being We’re in a bog and you only come planned. In all their contact with parents, here to come here. You don’t go it was similarities between the two through here to get anywhere else. schools that were stressed - ‘similar And that in itself has ensured that age group, farming background’ – to there’s very a much of sense of create what the teacher described as we’re here and we’re us. It’s almost ‘non-threatening contact with children in like an island in its own. another place’. He added: While noting the value of the local Had we been paired with a school in links her children had with others for Dublin, it wouldn’t have worked. Not ‘tag rugby, Gaelic football, hurling at all. And the parents would have and meeting them at sacraments’, been asking a lot more questions. I she stressed that ‘the outside thing think once they were from the same is wonderful’. This level of support sort of area it encouraged them and from this principal was echoed by her gave them a little comfort zone. partner colleague in Northern Ireland, who spoke of the potential she saw This is a significant observation in the for ‘the engagement, the opening of context of the theoretical framework minds, for making a difference’. This the Dissolving Boundaries team have kind of leadership, based on a vision of used to influence the roll out of the using technology to open minds and programme. Allport’s contact hypothesis perspectives, is a critical element in the suggests that for contact between success of Dissolving Boundaries. different groups to be successful, certain conditions have to be met. One of these In their different ways, these two primary conditions is that the participants should school principals also remind us of the be of ‘equal status’. We have interpreted geographical, political and historical

58 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 factors that in the past have caused he likes such and such a team so misunderstandings, suspicion and I’m fine with him”. fear. As the two schools began to think about the possibility of working together, She went on, however, to observe that the principals and their designated ‘every time we do Irish history, which teachers met face to face for a planning is historically quite complicated, with session to decide what the focus of the partition and everything else, somebody curricular work should be. The principal in the class mentions – “Aren’t our of the school in the Republic of friends in Northern Ireland…?” She Ireland said; added that this ‘reality’ meant that it’s real history, living history that they need We have the canal here and they for now.’ have Lough Neagh. So the first year we talked a lot about that kind of We can see in these comments both thing. We have a lot in common. the importance of building links around We have wáter, and water had a pupils’ interests, ensuring that the focus big impact on the community - it of work is age appropriate, but also grew up around the building of the the beginnings of changed perceptions canal. There was no community about controversial issues in the before that. Their community grew curriculum. up around the necessity of the work in the mill. So they learn a lot about The place of ICT in sustaining what people can have in common. contact

For many schools in the programme, At the start of the Dissolving Boundaries particularly in the early stages of a programme we knew that face to face partnership, the fundamental goal is meetings between schools could be about trust-building. This often means important, but in order to make the starting work on issues which are not relationship sustainable and long term, contentious. It led one of the Southern we needed to harness ICT to foster teachers to comment on her pupils’ everyday contact. Schools now use perceptions of the children in three ICT applications to achieve this. Northern Ireland: Two of the applications use software They have no concept of interest called Moodle which enables teachers in those children’s lives in terms of and pupils to engage in on-line group their religious backgrounds, their discussion. We wanted to draw historical background. They want to on another aspect of the contact know: What do they eat? What do hypothesis by getting away from the they watch on tv? What team do individual electronic pen-pal concept you follow? What music do you like? to foster group-to-group discussion, And when they get together, the enabling children to interact with others friendships form on the basis of “oh in a way that naturally accommodated diversity. As the pupils soon discovered,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 59 not all the children in a linked group were one colour for their contributions, so the same: some were white skinned and that they can be distinguished from the others not; some were passionate about work of the team members in the other soccer and others about Gaelic games. school. One of the teachers described how his pupils reacted to this process: At the annual planning conference, the teachers are shown the importance of “ I love your picture on so and so”, splitting their classes into smaller teams and then they send them one. You in such a way that each team has a know that kind of thing. And when matching group in the other school. it comes to the next stage of the When they exchange group profiles project, doing this animal stuff, it will they write as a group, describing their be very much creating wiki pages appearance, their likes and dislikes; so and then maybe sending an email: the on-line ‘forum’ is the place where “I’ve put in such a thing, will you add regular messages are exchanged in a in what you think about it and send private and secure area. Traditionalists, me an email if you think I should worried at what might look like children change – what do you think?” spending time on the exchange of You know the way kids are with personal data about their lives, would each other. be impressed by the improvement in writing skills that occur when there is We see this as an excellent example a real audience. But beyond this, we of collaborative learning, with children concur with Wenger and others who effectively constructing knowledge at argue that effective learning is often a distance,and doing this at the age of triggered by social interaction and, in nine or ten. It’s worth underlining the this case, by having a real purpose for point that the software is not ‘pre- communicating. Once you have people packaged content’; it allows the learner you call ‘friends’ across the border, it to adapt it, to personalize it and then to starts a process of thinking about their show it off to the rest of the class. The perception of the world and how to key in this is that the two teams on each express things sensitively. side of the border are working towards a common goal, namely the presentation We have a good example of this from of research on a topic that is part of the the curricular work that these two curriculum. schools carried out. After their initial study of the place of water in their two For this collaboration to happen, communities, the schools chose to teachers use imagination and flexibility study animals in China and Fair Trade. to see how work spanning a whole As each team researched an agreed school year can ‘fit in’ with what aspect of the topic, they posted their they have to do anyway. The annual findings into another part of Moodle, evaluation reports that the programme called a ‘wiki’, a shared on-line ‘space’ team produce (available at www. for building a sort of website. Often dissolvingboundaries.org) make clear the pupils in one school will choose how this process takes time; there

60 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 are no quick fixes here, just a steady this often takes place at a venue half accretion of experience. That is why way between the two schools: popular when schools are invited to take part venues include Dublin or Belfast Zoo, or in Dissolving Boundaries, they are one of the many outdoor or adventure given extra help in the first year, but centres. In some cases the venue is encouraged from Year Two to remain directly linked to the curricular work part of the programme ‘family’. They being done, but in others, such as this get a reduced level of funding, but case study, the focus was more on team enough to attend an annual reflection building through outdoor pursuits. The and planning conference in September meeting was ‘a huge motivation’, ‘the where they hear of the work that other icing on the cake’. As one principal put schools have carried out and have time it, it is the relationships built around the to plan their own activities for the year. In use of ICT that makes the face to face effect, we have a ‘learning community’, meeting successful: a steadily expanding network, with 30 new schools on each side of the border Through the technology they have joining every year. built up a good trusting relationship. And when they meet each other, The two ICT applications described so they at least have a starting point to far are both asynchronous: i.e. they do engage in conversation, group work not require schools to be on-line at the and activities. same time. This has the very decided benefit of giving teachers the scope to The partnering principal described how fit Dissolving Boundaries work in around the two teams were brought together: other commitments. It also means that the pupils have time to think and to So the deal is the A team from discuss in their own groups what they our school and the A team from should communicate to their partner their school have to spend the day team in the other school. Later in this together and everything they do as a article we will see how schools are using team. And you know it really makes the third application, real-time video- a difference. conferencing, as a further means of sustaining contact. There’s a climbing wall and the first thing they do is go round the bottom To conclude this case study of the two of it. Then they work with their own primary schools, we focus on a non- partner which is their email partner technology programme component - the essentially. And that’s all great. Then face to face visit - which many regard as they are on archery teams, there’s the high point of the year. an assault course. And everything is team. And they are always – the As, Meeting face to face Bs, Cs, Ds, Es and Fs.

The schools are given a small grant to For the children there is both excitement contribute to a face to face meeting and and a little anxiety about taking the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 61 step from virtual contact at a distance Outcomes to being in direct contact. One of the teachers in the Republic of Ireland One of the most interesting outcomes described an incident involving one of in this link is the way that the school her pupils; in Northern Ireland was able to gradually win the parents over to a new A little girl in the class was typing to perspective on school policy towards her friend saying, see you tomorrow difference and diversity. At first, the and looking forward to it and all that, attraction of a link ‘far away’ in the when she stopped dead. And this Republic of Ireland was partly that it is the third year of the project. Are wasn’t too close to home. Research they Catholic or Protestant? Would literature (e.g. Sundberg) confirms that she know what confirmation is? geographical distance lessens anxiety Because she’d had a confirmation about contact with an ‘out group’, but the previous Monday and I said, in this case the positive experience “Oh yes, they probably do that”. of working with parents on the cross- That was it, nothing else. The little border link opened up new possibilities. one was into horses and so was The principal put it as follows: she. She just didn’t want to be telling her something that she mightn’t Dissolving Boundaries was my first know. That was it. That was the only toe in the water with this community time a child has mentioned religion in I have been blessed to work with all the years of doing the project. here. And as a result of that it has enabled other activities: we have This growing sensitivity to cultural a scheme going with P3s every difference, which we see as one of year with our closest neighbouring the most important outcomes of the maintained (Roman Catholic) school programme, also extends to the wider where they meet for 12 weeks. They communities that the children belong have two hours a week and they to. In this case study there was direct put on a fabulous show in the local parental involvement, with some of the community hall for parents, teachers northern parents and school governors and children. To do this we were accompanying the children on the visit, able to call upon the experiences, and southern parents actively backing the trust, the integrity of our the programme through the Parents’ Dissolving Boundaries project. Association, and on one occasion providing a barbeque at the end of the We should not underestimate the visit. The whole process led the principal significance of this kind of development of the northern school to say that as a in terms of transforming the place of result of this sustained link, ‘we’ve now school in the community and doing this got an extended family’. through the imaginative use of ICT. It’s an excellent example of what has been referred to as ‘E-schooling’ (Austin and Anderson) where ICT accelerates change in the nature of learning

62 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Children from Portmarnock National School, Co Dublin and St Mary’s School, Limavady, Co Londonderry during a Dissolving Boundaries face to face meeting. both inside the school and within up unexpected horizons for teachers the community it serves; to use Alan and young people. November’s language, it ‘transforms’ learning. 2. Special School partnership

In concluding this case study, we might At the very start of the programme, reflect on the ways that this link has we wanted the communication developed what we call ‘citizenship’ technologies to be open to all, and in qualities in the pupils, not through a this spirit of inclusiveness we invited study of citizenship content as such, Special Schools to join in. Since 1998 but through a process of working over 30 have taken part, enabling within a cross-border team and starting young people with a very wide range to understand diversity and respect of learning needs to work together, difference. It is one indicator of success often making exceptionally good use of that in the year 2008-9 almost half of the video-conferencing. Technically, we have Northern Irish primary schools involved moved from using the rather expensive were from the Protestant side of the ISDN system to one that is now internet- community and just over half were from based and therefore free once the the Catholic side. school is connected to the internet, a critically important development in terms In the next case study, a link between of extending access to schools while two Special Schools, we ask about keeping within a tight budget. other meanings of the word ‘boundaries’ and how video-conferencing is opening In the case study chosen to illuminate

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 63 this part of Dissolving Boundaries, the in a mainstream primary school, an link was between a Special School in experience that would have been Belfast and a Special School across the unsustainable without the use of video- border. The northern pupils taking part conferencing. were described as follows: Video-conferencing There’s eleven of them. Some of them have Downs Syndrome. There Although all schools in the programme are children with autism and there now have software called Marratech are children with general global to make ‘real time’ live visual contact delay. So the top ability children in with their partner school, this bit of the class would have quite low mild, technology, using a simple webcam moderate learning difficulties, and attached to a PC, has made a huge the lowest ability children would difference in both Special and primary have severe learning difficulties. schools. The fact that the children are in the same classroom all day, generally The southern partner school had nine with the same teacher, makes the students who were a year older but scheduling of live video-conferencing were ‘at similar levels in terms of ability’. sessions much easier than in secondary The principal in this school, asked about schools. why he got involved, talked about the need to open up his school to the wider And as one of the teachers reflected on world: how different technologies had been used in their work, it was clear that We used to be in the past sort of video-conferencing had a very special hidden away and very few knew place: about us. But we’re trying to encourage more people to come We would have emailed and we in. The whole stigma with a Special would have exchanged pictures, School in the past was children videos too. We would have made weren’t thought of, whereas Power Points. There’s all that in we’ve tried to open our doors and Dissolving Boundaries. We’ve got encourage people to come and visit; a Power Point underway following to see that it’s just kids that need a through our work here. We’ve got little bit of extra help. the pictures of exchange meetings and all that. But on top of all that So just as the primary school link broke you have the video-conferencing, down the geographical isolation of two which on the one hand seems like rural schools, in this case study the a small enough thing, the cherry technology broke through the formerly on the icing. But it seems to me it’s closed, forgotten world of children rather more than that because it is who ‘just need a little bit of extra help’. kind of so special. Interestingly, one of these schools had also had a previous link with children For the children there was the motivation

64 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 of a medium that didn’t require highly with a modest level of ICT competence developed literacy skills: to give up, but the reality of another school counting on the link being From the word go, when they made elicited a level of persistence realised that they could see that we have observed right across themselves and others on video and the programme. The presence of a see them responding on the screen, distant audience, and the fact that I don’t think there’s too much doubt the teachers had met and planned a that that in itself was exciting and series of activities, contributed to the they wanted to be involved in that. determination of teachers to find ways to solve the inevitable technical problems. As many other studies have shown, The fact that there was a real purpose however, (for example, Martin) it’s behind using ICT meant that teachers not enough to assume that once the acquired and consolidated high levels of technology is in place it will be used skill, adapting the technology to suit their effectively. In this case study we can see specific classroom needs. a number of reasons why the video-links had such an impact. First, the teachers In this partnership the teachers also themselves had to become proficient realised that the students needed to users of what was a completely new be carefully prepared for the video- ICT application, and they began with conferences after initial experiments with reservations about whether it would the technology: work and be reliable. One said: We quickly realised that it would be I didn’t know what video- helpful for them to make their own conferencing was. So it was a notes and to have them in front of bit scary…. there are few things them. To be comfortable about the worse than the business of trying things they were planning to say, to use the technology and it letting and remembering to say them, and you down. not just be tongue tied with one another. His partner teacher, interviewed the following day, said: In effect, the pupils were learning not just about the communication skills The video conferencing was brilliant. of turn-taking, listening to different I had a lot of reservations about it, accents and articulating ideas, but also I’d never done it before. But actually picking up literacy skills in the process, it went quite smoothly. a considerable achievement for these particular students. It took several attempts to get both good quality sound and image, testing There were two final factors in explaining the best place to put the microphone the success of video-conferencing and to position the camera. It would in this partnership: one was the way have been understandable for teachers that this medium was integrated into

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 65 other elements of the programme. In cookery. This proved to be a good focus this case, a face to face meeting had for real time discussion: taken place early on in the school year in the northern school and, as one of In one of our video-conferences we the teachers commented, this provided were just exchanging notes about a strong focus for the use of video- how the plants were getting on… conferencing: we saw in the background in one of their pictures that they had a The video-conferencing is a great wee mini greenhouse where they way to get it started because put their plants when they were they can talk to these people, and transferring them to outside. So we the meeting that we had at the were keeping tabs on each other’s beginning of the year was fabulous. successes. That really led to a big motivation and the children then knew the kids In both schools teachers commented by the time they came to video- on how the use of technology and the conference. link with the other school had raised the self-esteem of the pupils and improved Once this Pandora’s box of communication skills. In some cases communication technology was opened, it gave pupils a sense of ownership the pupils wanted to use it every day: of their learning and the confidence to be ‘leaders’ in the school. These It brought in the world around us in are important outcomes, and a useful the sense that the children talked reminder that when we evaluate the about all the different activities that impact of ICT, we need to look at more they’d done. So when they went on than just improvements in academic the bus tour of Belfast, they relayed performance. What this case study that and they talked about what they shows is the power of ICT to help young had done. They talked about what people feel part of wider society, not they had seen. So really anything we just locally but on a wider stage. Social did in school kind of a wee bit out of cohesion should be at least one of the the ordinary, they brought it up and strategic goals for the use of ICT. were like ‘we want to tell our partner school about it’. 3. French without tears: an enterprising secondary The second reason why the video- school link conferencing worked was that it was strongly tied into the curriculum project In our final case study we examine the the schools were working on. This highly unlikely notion of a French link focussed partly on the development across the border in Ireland, and the of gardens, with the southern school surprising effects this has had on pupils’ developing a sensory garden and the language acquisition. Unexpected northern school developing thinking partnerships are formed at planning skills through the cultivation of herbs for conferences when teachers often meet

66 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 for the first time: in this case a teacher In the Dissolving Boundaries link, the of French from County Dublin met a evenness of language proficiency meant Science teacher from Northern Ireland that both sets of pupils, regarded in who had one French class. In spite of one of the schools as fairly challenging, their initial concerns about whether a wanted to impress their partners, modern language link would work, checking written work to make sure they soon realised that both sets of it was free of mistakes. The teachers students were at the same level of were astonished at the readiness of learning the language, both had a similar the pupils, particularly the boys, to curriculum and needed to communicate want to write. They also noted greater orally and in writing. The French collaboration within their respective specialist, who had previous experience classrooms and, as one principal said, of links to France, had found that the ‘it improved their self-confidence and differences in pupils’ proficiency levels has certainly broadened their horizons’. in English and French in such links had The class teacher noted improvements presented problems. in speaking, listening and written work, and to their sense of enjoyment. It is

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 67 quite clear that these outcomes were Alignment of policy caused by a combination of the use of ICT and the presence of a distant, but The partnership between the University not too distant, audience. of Ulster and NUI Maynooth in delivering the programme has been a central plank While we don’t have hard data on the in the entire enterprise. The decision extent of the pupils’ improved academic to locate the programme delivery in performance, the evidence from the two university schools of education teachers in this case study and in has meant that successive cohorts other schools is strongly suggestive of trainee teachers and experienced of a link between the effective use of teachers doing masters programmes ICT and pupils’ engagement with and have benefitted from the research and performance in learning. practice emerging from the programme. It has also underlined the theoretical Here too, a face to face meeting framework that has informed the consolidated the friendships, not only development of practice. between the pupils but between the two staff involved. The professional But this strong relationship would not and personal partnership between the have had the resources to undertake staff was certainly one of the factors in an initiative on this scale without the this successful link. It led one of them financial backing of the two to comment explicitly on the way that Departments of Education in Dublin participation in the programme had and Belfast. Furthermore, the small widened his professional network: programme team (essentially two staff on each side of the border) could not It’s something that I’ve found this have carried out the work without the year, that I have broadened my active support of the ICT advisors network of people who I now have who nominated schools in each of contact with. Which is something the Education and Library Boards in maybe I was guilty of not doing Northern Ireland or their counterparts in before, staying within my own little the Education Centres in the Republic area and within the school - not of Ireland. On the technical side, the branching out. I think branching out Dissolving Boundaries team have has helped. worked very closely with Classroom 2000 (C2K) and the National Council 4. Lessons learned for Technology Education (NCTE), the two agencies, North and South, tasked Taking these case studies into account with the business of providing the ICT and reflecting on our research findings infrastructure for every school in their from the last decade of the Dissolving respective jurisdictions. Boundaries programme, we can pinpoint three critical factors in its success, all of In effect, we can say that there has been which could be replicated elsewhere, as some alignment of policy between the has already been shown in the Middle programme, the strategic ICT goals East (for example, Hoter et al). in each jurisdiction and the agencies

68 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 charged with policy implementation. learning, whatever the subject matter, What is still needed is a more explicit has meant that the programme has policy statement from government in helped teachers embed ICT skills in both jurisdictions about the role of ICT their own teaching and transfer this in promoting both social cohesion and experience to other parts of their work. inter-cultural education. This is particularly significant given the reservations expressed by both Sustainability academics (e.g. Cuban) and school inspectors in both jurisdictions on the One of the biggest problems facing impact of ICT. The cumulative effect any programme that starts life as an of this has been that the Dissolving innovative pilot is how to expand and Boundaries programme is not stuck in disseminate good practice in cost- a ghetto in schools. It reaches out and effective ways. As the number of connects, especially when principals schools has expanded year on year give it their wholehearted backing. Their from 52 initially to 180 in 2008-9, the leadership is a critical component. team have had to devise an increasingly sophisticated way of supporting and Future challenges monitoring each partnership. A database of all participating schools is used to With the transfer of policy add weekly notes on the use of Moodle implementation from the Department of and video-conferencing, so that where Education to the Education and Skills there has been a lack of activity, the Authority (ESA) in Northern Ireland, programme team can intervene. In and in a climate of cutting back on our view, this external support is one public expenditure on both sides of of the reasons why so many schools the border, the Dissolving Boundaries have stayed with the programme, and programme is vulnerable, in spite of its it underlines the point that sustaining high impact and low costs. The recently links has to be actively managed by an formed partnership between Dissolving external agency. Boundaries and the Joint Business Council of the Confederation of British An inclusive, whole school Industry (CBI) in Northern Ireland and perspective the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC) in the Republic These case studies show that just about to develop an ‘enterprise’ focus for 20 any child, of any age, studying any area schools in the programme from 2009 of the curriculum, can benefit from the is a significant step in winning private use of communication technologies for sector support for the work being done. this kind of inter-cultural learning. The ICT applications chosen have the great The continuing community tensions advantage of being so flexible that they in Northern Ireland and difficulties in can be adapted for use with Special accepting new immigrants suggest that, Needs students just as easily as they far from cutting back on the programme, can for nine year olds or those aged its lessons need to be applied both in 16-18. Our emphasis on the process of terms of broader North-South links and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 69 within Northern Ireland. The impressive Schools’, http://www.deni.gov.uk/ work being done in the Middle East circular_2007.pdf linking different Arab and Jewish teacher trainees shows that there is now Department of Education and Science, international recognition that this model Dublin, Inspection report on the impact works. What is needed is the continued of ICT, 2008. political will to sustain it. http://www.education.ie/servlet/ Dr Roger Austin, Senior Lecturer in blobservlet/ICT_in_schools_insp_ the School of Education at University report.pdf of Ulster, is co-director of the Dissolving Boundaries programme. Dissolving Boundaries research reports, 2002-8, www.dissolvingboundaries.org N.B. I would like to acknowledge the contribution made to the programme Hoter.E, Shonfeld.M and Ganayim. and its research by my colleagues A, Information and Communication in the School of Education at the Technology (ICT) in the Service of University of Ulster, Jane Smyth, Multiculturalism, The International Marie Mallon and Hazel Bailie, and Review of Research in Open and to the other members of the team in Distance Learning, Vol.10, No.2 , 2009 NUI Maynooth, Angela Rickard and Nigel Metcalfe. Martin.M, Video-conferencing for schools: Pedagogy and Practice, Guildhall Press, Derry, Northern REFERENCES Ireland, 2008

Allport.G.W, The nature of prejudice, November,A, http://november Cambridge, Mass. Addison-Wesley, learning.com/ 1954. Sundberg, P.A, Building positive Austin.R and Anderson.J, E-schooling: attitudes among geographically-diverse global messages from a small island. students: The Project I-57 experience. Routledge, London, 2008. Paper presented at the National Educating Computing Conference, Cuban, L., Oversold and underused: NECC 2001, Building on the Future, Computers in the classroom. Chicago, Ill. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2001. Wenger. E, Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Department of Education, Northern Cambridge University Press, 1998 Ireland,‘Use of Information and Communications Technology in

70 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Towards a Green New Deal on the island of Ireland: from economic crisis to a new political economy of sustainability

John Barry

“This is pre-eminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today... So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark John Barry hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigour has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days”. Franklin D. Roosevelt, inaugural Presidential address (1933)

Introduction: the future is The full implications of the re-regulation inevitably green of the market, with the state bailing out and part-nationalising the financial This article begins from the assumption sector in both jurisdictions on the island (which may seem controversial to many) (as in other parts of the world) have yet that anyone who thinks that our current to be seen, but what we are witnessing economic crisis is a temporary blip until is the emergence of a new economic normal service (i.e. a return to ‘business model. Those who think we can, or as usual’) is resumed, profoundly even ought to, return to the pre-2008 misunderstands the severity and economic model, are gravely mistaken. significance of what’s happening to the The current economic downturn marks global economy and its impacts on the the end of the neo-liberal model and the future prosperity of the island of Ireland. beginnings of the transition (an inevitable The economic recession represents transition, this article will argue) towards nothing short of a re-structuring of a new low-carbon, renewable, green the global economy and the creation and sustainable economy and society. of a new dispensation between What we are witnessing is the governments, markets and citizens. re-politicisation of the economy, the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 71 re-emergence of ‘political economy’, used in this article. Paraphrasing Colin and the partial and uneven re- Hines, one of the main authors of the collectivisation of the economy: witness, original 2008 Green New Deal report, for example, the recent socialisation of our dominant economic model based financial risk in state bail-outs for the on ‘buildings, banks and boutiques’ (i.e. banking sector. Compared to previous property speculation, financial services and similar responses to economic and consumerism) has spectacularly crises of the past – most notably the imploded. In short, business as usual is Roosevelt New Deal in the US in the not an option; we need to find another 1930s depression and the evolution economic model. of the welfare state in Europe after the Second World War – this one has some What is the Green New Deal? new and extremely significant additional factors. These include the issue of Drawing our inspiration from Franklin ‘peak oil’, finally acknowledged by the D. Roosevelt’s courageous programme International Energy Agency (IEA)’s launched in the wake of the Great Crash 2008 World Energy Outlook; related of 1929, we believe that a positive concerns around resource scarcity course of action can pull the world and competition; energy security; the back from economic and environmental decarbonisation of our energy system meltdown. The Green New Deal that and the better known interlocking set of we are proposing consists of two main issues around climate change. strands: first, it outlines a structural transformation of the regulation of Despite the failure of the Copenhagen national and international financial climate change conference in December systems, and major changes to taxation 2009, it is clear that one cannot systems; second, it calls for a sustained separate tackling climate change programme to invest in and deploy from the emergence of a new energy energy conservation and renewable economy: the search for paths towards energies, coupled with effective demand a decarbonised economy is the only management.2 game in town. As Fatih Birol, chief economist of the IEA put it: “We need to In the context of the present crisis there leave oil before oil leaves us.”1 is a palpable sense of the need for new thinking, and therefore talk of a Green This new economic model has been New Deal has gained considerable given a number of names: including the ground. Since the publication of the UK ‘new industrial revolution’ (UK Green Green New Deal Group’s original New Party, 2009), the ‘smart economy’ Economics Foundation report in May (Department of the Taoiseach, 2008) 2008, there have been numerous further and ‘ecological civilisation’ (Chinese studies and reports ranging from the Communist Party, 2007). The Green UN Environment Programme3 to studies New Deal, originated by the group by major financial institutions such as of the same name in the UK, will be HSBC4.

72 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 An increasingly common sight in the Irish landscape: windmills putting renewable wind energy into the increasingly all-island electricity grid

The Green New Deal contract between aim of reducing America’s dependence government, markets and citizens is one on unstable foreign fossil fuel energy where the market (especially finance) supplies by investing massively in green is much more tightly and transparently energy infrastructure and in the process regulated and there is a significant creating an estimated two million ‘green role for the state in ‘steering,’ if not collar’ jobs. These countries have ‘rowing’ the economy. Around the world grasped the opportunity of the current governments are putting together billion downturn to move in the direction of a dollar Keynesian stimulus packages to Green New Deal, at the centre of which protect their national economies and is decarbonisation of the economy, the kick-start the global one. Some, such promotion of ‘green collar’ jobs and as South Korea, China, Germany and of investment in the green technology course the Obama administration in the sector. This Green New Deal tackles the US, are devoting a significant proportion ‘triple crunch’: the economic recession of this major government spending to and job losses, energy insecurity and investments in renewable energy, clean price/supply instability, and tackling technology and the environmental goods climate change. and services sector. Some of the main tenets of the Green President Obama’s $900 billion New Deal include a return to Keynesian stimulus package, recently agreed by demand-side management, tighter re- Congress, is in part motivated by the regulation of finance, and government

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 73 counter-cyclical investment to boost in (e.g. retrofitting the existing housing job creation. This very much follows stock with insulation or a comprehensive Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s: first programme to replace domestic impose strict regulations on the cause boilers). The labour-intensive nature of of the problem – a greedy, feckless and the greening of the energy economy inadequately regulated finance sector; represents a golden opportunity for second, get people back to work and those losing their jobs. This is particularly generate new business opportunities; the case when one thinks of the third, fund this in part by an increase in construction sector, badly damaged in taxes on big business and the rich – a the recession, which could gain greatly measure which also has the positive from any Green New Deal economic effect of decreasing inequality. strategy.

The specifically ‘green’ element relates As a Green New Deal would require to the opportunities to, in the words ‘buy in’ from all major stakeholders – of the Nobel-prize winning economist, government, business, trade unions Joseph Stiglitz, “not let a good crisis go and wider civil society – it is much more to waste” by doing things in response to than an economic innovation strategy, the current crisis that were not possible though understandably that is how it is beforehand. Specifically, the Green being portrayed and discussed in media New Deal proposes that governments and policy circles. Such is the scale of should shift to a low-carbon energy the ‘triple crunch’ – economic, climate economy through massive investment in and energy – we are facing, I believe that renewable energy. In Ireland this would such a coalition could be created if there include the upgrading of the all-island is the right leadership from government electricity grid to enable this to happen; and the social partners. In Ireland, North and creating a ‘carbon army’ to retrofit and South, a Green New Deal could insulation to our energy-leaky housing offer a way to harness the abundant stock, thus creating thousands of jobs renewable energy sources we have; link and business opportunities, as well as universities and energy companies, and tackling fuel poverty. provide skills and training for the growing ‘green collar’ job sector. Measures to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, stimulate alternative To reduce carbon dramatically will technologies and save energy can require skills ranging from energy create a substantial number of jobs analysis, design and production of hi- during the years it will take to tackle tech renewable alternatives; large-scale the current economic downturn. The engineering projects such as combined potential increase in the demand for heat and power plants and offshore labour reflects not only the labour wind farms; through to work in making intensity of many of the tasks that need every building ‘energy tight’; and fitting to be undertaken in the short run, but more efficient energy systems in homes, also the backlog of tasks to be done offices and factories. To fulfill this labour when a new policy framework is brought demand would require a targeted and

74 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 structured skills and training strategy, distorting effects of fossil fuel subsidies – which itself would provide more jobs. estimated to be in the tens of billions of The scale of the challenges we face dollars – would reduce CO2 emissions cannot be underestimated, but then in the OECD by over 20%. The creation neither can the potential benefits. The of a level playing field by transferring most timely and targeted measures the subsidies to large, centralised, would include those that promote smart capital intensive carbon energy and energy-efficient public buildings and transportation investments would homes, and switching to cleaner types provide a re-balancing of the market for of transport, such as extending light more renewable, labour intensive energy rail systems within Dublin and to cities and transportation activities. As the such as Belfast. The number of jobs that OECD’s Ministerial Environment Policy could be created in Northern Ireland and Committee noted: ‘Removing subsidies the Republic to upgrade the all-island to carbon-intensive technologies, pricing electricity grid so that it is ready for pollution and creating a “level playing renewable connection could run into field” is also important to enable low- thousands, according to the All Island carbon alternatives to compete fairly in Grid Study.5 the market, and to find ways of helping these technologies to move quickly into It is important that fiscal measures that the market-place’.6 Removing these are not explicitly ‘green’ do not make perverse subsidies could provide the achieving climate change goals more necessary funding, along with other difficult by subsidising greenhouse gas options – such as taxing ‘windfall’ emissions or ‘locking in’ high-carbon oil profits, adopting carbon taxes, infrastructure for decades to come. and auctioning pollution and carbon Hence a Green New Deal should also allowances, as well as innovative include removing subsidies and other financial mechanisms such as raising fiscal or financial incentives from forms green bonds – to provide the necessary of near-term infrastructural investment or investment for this Green New Deal technological innovation which maintain strategy. the unsustainable, and therefore ultimately uneconomic, ‘business as Island of Ireland uniquely placed usual’ high-carbon energy economy. Lest such a Green New Deal be viewed The Green New Deal proposes that simply as an unreconstructed Keynesian some of the stimulus packages that ‘tax, borrow and spend’ strategy, it is are now being developed should be important to stress that the removal of targeted away from maintaining the government subsidies, and therefore the old 20th century economy towards cutting of state spending, is a key and investing in the new economy of the defining element of a Green New Deal 21st century. The island of Ireland is which seeks to move the economy onto uniquely placed, not least in terms of its a low-carbon, sustainable path. abundant renewable wind and marine energy resources and its small scale, For example, removing the market- so that with the right political, business,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 75 union and environmental leadership and According to a UK Department of partnership it could become a ‘green Trade and Industry/Department of economy’ world leader. For example, in Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the Republic of Ireland, the Green Party report, world markets for environmental Minister for Communications, Energy goods and services sector are set to and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, be worth $688 billion by 2010, just has announced a f100 million insulation under $800 billion by 2015 and will package that will create an estimated reach a trillion dollars by 20209. Just 4,000 jobs in the hard-pressed as the Stern report called climate construction industry and benefit over change the ‘greatest market failure 50,000 homes7. Or consider the 80,000 in history’10, so combating climate jobs that the High Level Action Group on change and decarbonising the economy Green Enterprise noted could be created could be seen as a unique commercial in the Irish green economy8. Jobs, opportunity for wealth and job creation. reducing fuel poverty and reducing In a speech outlining his view of a Green carbon emissions – this is the type of New Deal in March 2009, Gordon Brown ‘triple win’ policy that is the hallmark said a total of 1.3 million people would of a Green New Deal and a be employed in the environmental sector decarbonising economy. by 2017 - representing an annual growth rate of 5% and about 400,000 new jobs. In Northern Ireland, given its large UK Business Secretary John Hutton energy-inefficient social housing stock, noted: “By the end of the decade, global high levels of fuel poverty and the fact green industries will be worth as much that housing accounts for roughly as the global aerospace industry – in the 25-30% of CO2 emissions, a similar order of £350 billion a year – and with programme would address multiple the potential to create thousands of new policy objectives at the same time. It green collar jobs in Britain. So there is would reduce our CO2 emissions and a clear business case for maximising make a significant contribution to the the opportunities presented by climate Northern Ireland element of the UK change and making sure that Britain Climate Change Bill targets; create unlocks these business opportunities”11. thousands of jobs and opportunities for Are the administrations in both retraining; reduce fuel poverty and thus jurisdictions on the island of Ireland unnecessary illness and deaths; and, if ready to unlock those opportunities? given the leadership this would require, Are ministers ambitious and innovative overnight create a secure, sustainable enough to set in place the policies and market for retrofitting insulation to the provide the political leadership and publicly owned housing stock. One of cooperatively develop and implement a the other great advantages of creating Green New Deal for the island? this ‘green collar carbon army’ is that these jobs are not ‘offshorable’: this If nothing else, a Green New Deal work cannot be outsourced to India or represents perhaps the best option China and would therefore provide local we have at the moment, since the jobs for local people. old business model of fossil-fuelled,

76 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 globalised and deregulated capitalism has so spectacularly come off the wheels. A Green New Deal would bring the economy ‘back down to earth’, reminding us that unlike governments, nature does not do bail-outs, and there is an urgent need for new thinking and action to re-embed the human economy within the wider ecological system upon which it depends.

The Northern Ireland Green New commercial buildings through energy Deal Initiative efficiency measures and making ‘every building a power station’; regionalising In early 2008 Friends of the Earth and localising the supplies of both Northern Ireland together with other electricity and heat through large-scale organisations such as the Confederation renewables, micro-generation and of British Industry, the Northern using fossil fuels more efficiently; and Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, employing a ‘carbon army’ of high- the Northern Ireland Sustainable lower-skilled workers to implement this Development Commission, the Ulster systematic reconstruction programme; Farmers Union, individual entrepreneurs, transforming our transport system to be policy-makers and academics from fit for purpose in the coming era of high the two universities came together to oil and carbon prices by providing a real produce their version of a Green New public transport choice for everyone; Deal for Northern Ireland. This was creating thousands of ‘green collar’ jobs published in summer 2009. in the £3,000 billion world market for low carbon environmental goods and The Northern Ireland Green New Deal services; and developing a package of strategy is based on the realisation financial innovations and incentives to that ‘around 10% of Northern Ireland’s leverage the very large sums needed to income is spent on importing fossil fuels implement such a programme, based on on which we are 99% dependent for our partnership between the public sector, energy. Facing a future of rising energy the private sector, and the public. prices we risk serious economic and social failure unless we act swiftly to The Green New Deal in the Republic reduce that dependence’.12 Its vision of of Ireland a Green New Deal for Northern Ireland includes: the refurbishment of tens of Some of the thinking in official policy- thousands of existing homes each year making circles around the Green with full insulation and renewable energy, New Deal idea in the South can be thus making significant inroads into found in the work of Forfás, the Irish fuel poverty; transforming the energy Government’s advisory body for performance of public and enterprise and science, and Comhar,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 77 the Sustainable Development Council. the Department of the Taoiseach which In 2006 Forfás produced a report specifically mentioned the Green New assessing the vulnerability of the Deal idea. As that document puts it, Republic of Ireland to variations in there needs to be ‘a ‘green new deal” supply or price of imported oil. That to move us away from fossil fuel-based report noted: energy production through investment in renewable energy and to promote the The high probability that a supply green enterprise sector and the creation of cheap oil will peak over the of ‘green collar’ jobs, the greening of the next 10-15 years poses a serious economy and the development of green challenge for the global economy. enterprise.’16 We in Ireland are more dependent on imported oil for our energy Referring to an earlier Forfás report on requirements than almost every oil vulnerability, this report also noted other European country and it will in a section of threats to the Irish take up to 10 years to significantly economy: ‘Ireland consumes more reduce this dependence. Therefore, energy per capita than the EU average it is essential that we now begin to and is heavily reliant on fossil fuels (coal prepare for such a challenge.13 and gas) while the costs of energy are relatively high.’17 It concluded: ‘While it is often difficult for policymakers and businesses to take a In 2009 Comhar: Sustainable long-term view of the issues that they Development Council, in close face, that is the requirement in regard cooperation with the Northern Ireland to the peak oil challenge’.14 In October Green New Deal group, held a series 2008 Forfás produced the Environmental of meetings leading to the launch of its Goods and Services Sector on the Green New Deal document in October Island of Ireland report, which estimated 200918. The reaction to the Comhar that the size of the EGS sector in Ireland report has been mixed, to say the is €2.8 billion, with Northern Ireland least, especially its proposal that the accounting for an additional €790 Government commit two per cent of million approximately15. The numbers GDP to green stimulus measures for directly employed in the sector totals the next few years. The strongly green more than 6,500. The Irish Government, Irish Times columnist John Gibbons responding to the demands of the Green commented: Party, the junior coalition party, has established a High Level Action Group Comhar has synthesised a cogent, on Green Enterprise to take forward a lucid plan that could set Ireland on number of the recommendations from a path to independence in the true this report. meaning of the word. With half- a-million jobless, a key element in This was followed in December 2008 the Green New Deal is the labour- by the publication of the Building intensive process of retrofitting our Ireland’s Smart Economy report from national housing stock, transforming

78 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5

the national grid and building a a long way to go in terms of creating a new green infrastructure, including common vision based on the ecological, massive investment in renewable ‘peak oil’, and climate change realities energy.19 driving that transition. The tensions between those wedded to a more However more orthodox economists orthodox economic vision and a desire rejected the report, including influential to return to business as usual (which figures such as Colm McCarthy who created the Celtic Tiger economy) as chaired An Bord Snip Nua’20, who quickly as possible, and those proposing focussed on the dangers of over- a new green economic model, have investment in either wind generation or been revealed, and these divisions grid capacity; ‘mission creep’ in relation will become starker in 2010 when this to Comhar’s recommendation that the author predicts the economic recession National Treasury Management Agency will deepen. (already tasked with running the National Assets Management Agency ‘bad bank’) As climate change and energy security should administer the revenue from issues come to shape the political and carbon tax; and the uncosted character economic imperatives of the state, civil of Comhar’s recommendations. This society and business (not to mention led to a rebuttal from Professor Frank biodiversity, water, waste, food and Convery, chair of Comhar. He stressed transport issues), we may expect new that a carbon tax is necessary but coalitions of social and economic not sufficient for reducing Ireland’s forces to coalesce around acceptance, CO2 emissions, so the other policies modification or resistance to the recommended by the Comhar report inevitable transition to a low-carbon are required; that upgrading the grid economy. Which side will the trade is about decentralising electricity unions take? Or anti-poverty groups and production; that other research other civil society organisations? These underlines the need for more not less are the new and emerging political fault wind energy production for the island lines which need to be considered in the of Ireland; and he strongly rejected years ahead as we begin the transition McCarthy’s criticism that the report to a new economy, devising new policies ignored the state of public finances21. in the context of a climate-changed and There has also been a lively debate on carbon-constrained world. the topic online, for example on the TASC (Taskforce and Action on Social Towards a ‘sustainability war Change) ‘Progressive Economy’ blog. economy’?

It is clear that while a debate has One possible version of a Green (belatedly) begun on the policies New Deal is what one may term a underlying a transition to a low-carbon, ‘sustainability war economy’, where green, sustainable economy in the unlike the planned transition outlined by Republic (sadly this debate is less the Green New Deal, governments are advanced in Northern Ireland), there is forced to move quickly and belatedly

80 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 to deal with and adapt to peak oil, insecurity of energy supply and climate change impacts. Over the last couple of years the argument has been made that the transition away from unsustainable development towards a more sustainable future may have to be based on a difficult political and cultural experience similar to the one many counties went through during and after the Second World War. Consider the following statement from Andrew life are typically the results of war. Simms, head of research at the well- But they will also be the results of respected London-based green think unchecked climate change. It is like tank, the New Economics Foundation: a war because to reduce emissions something very like a war economy The situation in the global is needed. All sectors – transport, environmental war economy is not energy, agriculture and foreign policy so different from the dilemma that – must work closely together to faced individuals in Britain’s war meet a common objective. And it is economy. As Hugh Dalton, President a world war because every country of the Board of Trade, put it in in the world will be affected by the 1943: ‘There can be no equality of results of climate change – although sacrifice in this war. Some must lose it will be the poorest who are hit their lives and limbs, others only the hardest.23 turn-ups on their trousers.’ Impacts may differ, in other words, but the The UK Green New Deal report also acknowledgement of a shared need echoes this “war economy” theme remains and unifies. Faced with a in pointing out: ‘There is a growing crisis in which individuals are asked consensus that climate change to subordinate personal goals to a demands an economic mobilisation common good, they can, and do, of clean energy technology, and other respond. This is the lesson of the anti-greenhouse measures, on a scale British and other war economies and to rival war time’24. The stress on it may also prove the rallying cry of a mobilisation and sense of urgency which new environmental war economy.22 permeates this report echo the wartime call for citizens to enlist and support The same argument can be heard in the the war effort within an explicitly ‘green European Commission. Stavros Dimas, Keynesianism’ context. According to the Commissioner for the Environment, said Green New Deal report: in a speech in January 2007: In our living memory, the scale of Damaged economies, refugees, economic re-engineering needed to political instability, and the loss of prevent catastrophic climate change

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 81 has only been witnessed in a wide resilience. They are preparing in range of countries during war time. practical ways for the ‘power down’ No other approach looks remotely entailed in the coming energy crunch capable of delivering the necessary and the low-carbon living needed volume of emissions reductions in to fight climate change. Anyone the time needed. In that light, we who has attended a Transition Town can learn from war-time experiences, meeting can report on the spirit positively and negatively. The that exists to face up to the triple best of those lessons can then be crunch.27 translated into our contemporary circumstances.25 Kinsale, Co. Cork set up the first Transition Town group in Ireland and Local Responses: The Transition there are now around 20 (mainly small) Towns Movement Transition Town groups in Northern Ireland and the Republic28 (as well as a A more local level instance of an urgent recently established all island Transition response to the need for a Green New Initiative Network).29 In some respects Deal can be found in the rapidly growing the Transition Towns perspective makes ‘Transition Towns’ movement in the a virtue of necessity (not just that ‘small UK and Ireland.26 The Transition Towns is beautiful’, but ‘small is inevitable’) as movement is an interesting innovation local communities prepare for ‘power in that while it explicitly begins from the down’ in a post-oil, low-carbon energy twin challenges of ‘peak oil’ and climate future. Other centres of green discourse change, it is also resolutely practical and practice in Ireland include the Green and pragmatic in orientation. It cannot Party (in and outside government), be described as overtly ideologically green economic think tanks such as focused in terms, for example, of Feasta and sustainability organisations challenging globalisation or articulating like Cultivate, and environmental NGOs an oppositional form of green political such as Friends of the Earth in both activism. The UK Green New Deal jurisdictions, as well as institutes of Group makes an explicit link from their sustainability and sustainable living in the macro-level analysis to the local level of universities. the Transition Town. Their report states: The positive post-oil future promoted There is a sense already in British by the Transition Town movement is society that there is a ‘gathering characterised as ‘an abundant future, storm’. Over one hundred Transition energy lean, time rich, less stressful, Town organisations have arisen from healthier and happier.’30 The Transition the grass roots in towns, villages Town movement seeks to inspire and cities across Britain. These are and empower local communities to essentially self-help organisations reskill and educate themselves so that seeking to assist their communities community resilience is enhanced to to reduce their dependence on fossil deal with the shocks of declining oil and fuels and increase their economic climate change. Transition Town is first

82 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 and foremost about enhancing personal, family and community resilience by changing individual and group social, ecological and economic behaviour and relationships in relation to a particular place. Also significant is the Transition Town movement’s stress on community self-reliance and resilience, its (relative) independence from the state and business, its awareness of the land (and by extension wider ecological relations) and, most importantly, the strong sense with previous periods of economic of community solidarity and shared difficulties since independence, work towards providing the material Ireland faces the current economic and energy wherewithal to sustain that situation as an island at peace. community in a low-carbon future. The institutions established by the Good Friday Agreement and Conclusion the transformation in relationships between the two traditions on There are also good reasons to view on the island, between North and the inevitable transition towards a green, South, and between Britain and sustainable economy as desirable Ireland, provide an entirely new from an all-island perspective. Facing and positive basis for tackling the challenges and opportunities of the current economic challenges finding a new way of ‘making our way together. There is now an important in the world’ in the 21st century could all-island dimension to all aspects (I stress ‘could’ lest I be accused of of Government policy. To the naivety) become an important element extent that it is appropriate, and of a new post-conflict political narrative by agreement with the Northern for the island. With the creation of a Ireland Executive, all of the policies, power-sharing Executive within Northern programmes and initiatives in this Ireland and the slow but steady growth Action Plan will take full account of of pragmatic North-South cooperation, the mutual benefits available through especially on infrastructure, public North/South co-operation.31 services and economic issues – not least the creation of an all-island Given the necessary connection (not wholesale electricity market in 2007 – fully explored in this article) between there is the potential for a Green New the transition to a sustainable economy Deal to become part of an all-island and issues of greater democratisation, post-conflict dispensation. As the 2008 citizen empowerment, human rights, Smart Economy report in the Republic of good governance and lowering socio- Ireland put it: economic inequalities32, an all-island Green New Deal could provide a Uniquely in history, and by contrast pragmatic yet inspired approach to

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 83 integrating economic and social as 3. United Nations Environment well as sustainability and post-conflict Programme, Green Jobs: Towards objectives in Ireland. Such a Green Decent Jobs in a Sustainable, Low New Deal could, with the right political, Carbon World, available at: economic and cultural leadership http://www.unep.org/ (the latter cannot be discounted publications/search/title_search. given the scale and magnitude of the asp?search=Green+Jobs&image. transition envisaged), together with x=6&image.y=9 (2008) more grassroots initiatives such as Transition Towns, become a way for 4. HSBC Global Research, A Climate the jurisdictions on the island to deal for Recovery, available at: http:// with the problems and legacies of the globaldashboard.org/wp-content/ past while at the same time facing uploads/2009/HSBC_Green_New_Deal. the problems and opportunities of a pdf (2009) sustainable future together. 5. Department of Communications, John Barry is Associate Director of Energy and Natural Resources, All Island the Institute for a Sustainable World Grid Study, available at: http://www. and Reader in the School of Politics, dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/1B7ED484- International Studies and Philosophy 456E-4718-A728-97B82D15A92F/0/ at Queen’s University Belfast. His AllIslandGridStudyStudyOverviewJan08. books include Environment and pdf (2008) Social Theory (2nd edition, 2007) and the co-edited volume, The Nation- 6. OECD, Environment Policy State and the Global Ecological Committee at Ministerial Level Crisis (2005). He is co-editor of the meeting on ‘Environment and Global journal Environmental Politics. He Competitiveness’, available at: http:// is currently writing two books, one www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3343, entitled Green Politics in Ireland and en_2649_201185_40541853_1_1_1_1, the other Sustainability, Vulnerability 00.html (2008) and Green Politics. He is former co- chair of the Green Party in Northern 7. Dept of Communications, Energy Ireland. and Natural Resources, ‘Government announces national insulation programme for economic recovery’, REFERENCES available at: http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/ Press+Releases/Government+announce 1. Schneider, A., ‘Fatih Birol interview: s+national+insulation+programme+for+e ‘Leave oil before it leaves us’, Energy conomic+recovery.htm (2008) Bulletin, available at: http://www. energybulletin.net/node/43604 (2008) 8. High Level Action Group on Green Enterprise, Developing the Green 2. Green New Deal group, A Green Economy in Ireland, available at: New Deal (London: New Economics http://www.entemp.ie/publications/ Foundation), 2008.

84 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 trade/2009/developing_the_green_ 17. ibid. economy_in_ireland_01.12.09.pdf (2009) 18. Comhar SDC Report and Recommendations (2009), Towards a 9. Department of Trade and Industry/ Green New Deal for Ireland, available at: Department of Environment, Food and http://www.comharsdc.ie/_files/2009_ Rural Affairs, Study of Emerging Markets TowardsAGreenNewDealComhar_rpt. in the Environmental Industries Sector, pdf (2009) available at: http://www.ukceed.org/ files/downloads/emergingmarkets_ 19. Gibbon, J., ‘Green New Deal summary.pdf .(2006) points way out of economic trough’, Irish Times, 1/10/2009, available at: 10. HM Treasury, Stern Review of the http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ Economics of Climate Change, available opinion/2009/1001/1224255612654. at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/stern_ html review_report.htm (2008) 20. McCarthy, C. , ‘Green plan 11. Hutton, J., ‘Environmental a recipe for fudge and confusion talent key to economic recovery’, in economic policy’, Irish Times, available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/ 9/10/2009, available at: http:// news/2008/080501b.htm = (2009) www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ opinion/2009/1009/1224256257436. 12. Northern Ireland Green New Deal html group, Green New Deal for Northern Ireland, available at: http://www.foe. 21. Convery, F. , ‘No point waiting until co.uk/resource/briefings/ni_green_new_ the 11th hour to adopt Green New Deal’, deal.pdf (2009) Irish Times, 15/10/2009, available at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ 13. Forfás, A Baseline Assessment of opinion/2009/1015/1224256691485. Ireland’s Oil Dependence – key policy html consideration, Dublin, Forfás, 2006. 22. Simms, A., Towards an 14. ibid. Environmental War Economy, London: New Economics Foundation, 2001 15. Forfás, Environmental Goods and Services Sector on the Island 23. Dimas, S., ‘Climate Change: Why of Ireland, available at: http://www. a Global Response requires European forfas.ie/publication/search.jsp?ft=/ leadership’, available at: http://www. publications/2008/title,1930,en.php euractiv.com/en/sustainability/eu- (2008) defends-leadership-world-war-climate- change/article-160848 .(2007) 16. Department of the Taoiseach, Building Ireland’s Smart Economy: A 24. Green New Deal Group, A Green Framework for Sustainable Economic New Deal, 2008 Renewal, (2008).

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 85 25. ibid.

26. Hopkins, R., The Transition Town Handbook. Totnes, Green Books, 2008.

27. Green New Deal Group, A Green New Deal, 2008

28. Ennis, Sandymount (Dublin), Middleton (Co Cork), Blessington, Donard (both Co Wicklow), Wicklow, Laois, Gorey, Wexford, Omagh, Holywood (Co Down), Donabate- Portrane (Co Dublin), Laois, Tramore, Galway, West Cork, Kinsale, Dublin 8, Trim, Donegal, East Clare, Clonmel, Skerries (Co Dublin)

29. See http://transitiontownsireland. ning.com

30. Green New Deal Group, A Green New Deal, 2008

31. Department of the Taoiseach, Building Ireland’s Smart Economy: A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal, 2008

32. Barry, J. (2010), ‘Discourses of Transition to Sustainability in Ireland: Towards a Green Republicanism’ in O’Mahony, P et al (eds), Environmentalism in Ireland: The Communicative Turn. Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010.

86 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 University of Ulster and Letterkenny IT: a unique opportunity for higher education collaboration in the north-west

Pat McCloughan

Enhanced collaboration between Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the University of Ulster has the potential to contribute significantly to the socio- economic development of the north-west, provided such collaboration occurs in a relatively open environment in which the differences in the higher education operating systems between North and South Pat McCloughan currently constraining cross-border student flows are addressed. An ambitious approach is warranted given the journey the region needs to travel to catch up with the rest of the island economically and in terms of higher education attainment and delivery.

The benefits from enhanced Consultants, in association with London collaboration between the University Economics, were commissioned in of Ulster and Letterkenny Institute 2008 to examine the potential for of Technology should not be enhanced strategic cooperation underestimated. Leveraging the skills between Letterkenny IT and the and expertise of both institutions and University of Ulster aimed at furthering catering for a larger demographic the delivery of higher education in the area will facilitate greater impact North West Gateway Strategic Alliance and utilisation of talent over a wider Region (NWGSA Region), which for the geographical space. In particular, in purposes of this article we will call the combination with other developments ‘north-west region’. under the inter-governmental North West Gateway Initiative (including the Project The north-west region was defined Kelvin transatlantic broadband link), by both institutions to include County closer higher education collaboration will Donegal and the Northern Ireland local ensure that enterprise in the region has authority areas corresponding to Derry greater access to growth opportunities. City Council, Coleraine Borough Council, Indecon International Economic Fermanagh District Council, Limavady

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 87 Students at the Magee (Derry/Londonderry) campus of University of Ulster

Borough Council, Omagh District or Leitrim. At the same time, there is Council and Strabane District Council. also a rich diversity among the people of the north-west region, reflecting the The region represents a cohesive variety of its topography. region in socio-economic and cultural terms, notwithstanding the border The Indecon report was launched in and perceptions regarding religious Letterkenny on 14 May 2009 by the differences. For example, the eastern Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD together part of Donegal known as the ‘Laggan’, with senior management from both which includes the corridor between institutions. The study found a very high Letterkenny and Derry, and the Finn level of support for greater collaboration Valley area between the border town of between Letterkenny IT and the Lifford and the twin towns of Stranorlar University of Ulster among both external and Ballybofey further west, is one of and internal stakeholders in the north- the main repositories of the Ulster-Scots west, including employers and post- tradition on the island of Ireland. It would primary schools, as well as staff and not be unreasonable to suggest that a students at each institution.1 Donegal person has more in common culturally, and certainly accent-wise, with Despite some gains made in recent his or her neighbours in west Tyrone or years, the north-west region remains Fermanagh than with people from Sligo behind other parts of the island

88 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 of Ireland in terms of economic will necessitate innovative thinking performance, and may be at risk of on how best to build on their existing becoming more seriously affected by the collaboration in both full-time and part- current recession than elsewhere on the time undergraduate and postgraduate island. Further, educational attainment in programmes, in academic research and the region has remained low compared in technology exchange with business with other regions in Ireland, and and industry. the level of higher education course provision (on a per capita basis at At a national and regional policy level, in undergraduate and postgraduate levels) order to help realise the potential arising is also relatively low. from enhanced collaboration between the University of Ulster and Letterkenny As an area of low population density, the IT, a re-think of higher education policy north-west region cannot expect to rival and practice on both sides of the border the likes of Dublin or Belfast in terms is needed. This will necessarily involve of higher education infrastructure or challenging the traditional demarcations delivery. That would not make economic between the institutes of technology sense. Nevertheless, while the region and the universities (in the South), and is home to the Irish National Spatial overcoming the structural differences in Strategy’s only cross-border ‘gateway’ the higher education operating systems (the Letterkenny-Derry corridor), it between North and South that may be continues to lag behind other parts of presently impeding the flow of students the island in terms of both the number on a cross-border basis. of undergraduate and postgraduate places on offer and in regard to the The prize to which enhanced range of third- and fourth-level study collaboration between the two opportunities available. institutions can contribute includes greater retention of graduates and the What is clear from the new primary maintenance of more skills within the research presented in the Indecon report north-west region. These goals will serve is that there is a very strong degree of to make the region more attractive for support (on both sides of the border) inward investment and help overcome for expanding the provision of higher what the Taoiseach Brian Cowen education activities in the north-west referred to in his launch of the Indecon region. The most effective means of report as the ‘tyranny of distance’. achieving this is through enhanced collaboration between the University of Strategic context Ulster and Letterkenny IT as the largest third-level institutions in the north-west. The strategic context for the proposed enhanced collaboration between An ambitious yet realistic approach the two higher education institutions to enhanced cooperation between includes increasing recognition of the the two institutions is required. Within importance of cross-border cooperation, and between the two institutions, this which may be cast in sharper focus in

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 89 the context of the present economic (the so-called ‘STEM’ disciplines). downturn afflicting both parts of the Skills acquisition in STEM is assuming island. Other things being equal, one greater relevance in the development might expect cross-border collaboration of activities in science, engineering, in areas such as higher education to technology, business, finance and gain more momentum in the coming healthcare, especially in relation to years, as institutions like the University internationally-traded and domestically- of Ulster - and particularly its Magee traded services, which are set to (Derry) and Coleraine campuses – and account for a growing proportion of Letterkenny IT seek to take advantage of economic activity and employment their geographical proximity to expand in the island economy in the coming growth opportunities. years. There is great scope for the two institutions to jointly lead the process of Recently published studies highlight improving attainment in STEM skills in the socio-economic benefits from the north-west region, making it both greater cross-border alliances in higher more attractive and more competitive. education, notably the Comprehensive Study on the All-Island Economy Comparative higher education (2006)2 and the All-Island Skills Study systems in the two jurisdictions (2008),3 itself the fruit of cross-border collaboration between the Expert Group Certain differences in the higher on Future Skills Needs in Ireland and the education operating systems between Northern Ireland Skills Expert Group. North and South may limit the potential for enhanced collaboration between Various employment and enterprise higher educational institutions based on development initiatives currently each side of the border like Letterkenny underway in the region recognise the IT and the University of Ulster. The most importance of improving educational significant differences are the ‘MaSN attainment and facilitating further Cap’ in Northern Ireland and differences cooperation between the two north- in tuition fees between Northern Ireland western higher education institutions. and the Republic of Ireland. Examples of two such initiatives are the NWWDF (North-West Workplace The MaSN (Maximum Student Development Forum), aimed at Number) Cap is an annual limit set by improving training in the region the Northern Ireland Department for on a cross-border basis, and the Employment and Learning (DEL) in development of a technology ‘highway’ respect of all home and EU full-time between Letterkenny and Derry, which students entering undergraduate seeks to improve access to high-speed higher education courses in Northern broadband. Ireland. It therefore applies to all universities and higher and further An important educational cross-cutting education colleges in Northern Ireland theme is the emphasis now placed on offering full-time undergraduate higher developing qualifications in science, education courses.4 technology, engineering and maths

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However, the MaSN Cap does not in the Indecon report are overcome, apply to full-time undergraduate higher there could be significant potential education students from outside the for Letterkenny IT and the University EU or to part-time undergraduates or of Ulster to jointly develop full-time postgraduates on higher education undergraduate higher education courses courses in Northern Ireland (regardless in the north-west. Even if the MaSN Cap of their origin). It should also be noted were to remain a feature of the Northern that the MaSN Cap applies to publicly- higher education system, it might be funded student places financed through possible to relax its application for STEM DEL, and thus third-level institutions subjects, and/or the MaSN Cap could in Northern Ireland are permitted to be differentiated on a regional basis develop additional capacity in non- to support higher education growth in publicly-funded places, although the the north-west. These possibilities in demand for these is clearly limited at full-time undergraduate courses – the present. bedrock of higher education – are in addition to the potential that exists A further complexity of the higher for Letterkenny IT and the University education operating system in Northern of Ulster to jointly develop part-time Ireland is that separate caps on student undergraduate and postgraduate numbers also apply in the case of courses where the MaSN Cap does undergraduate higher education courses not apply. funded through other public sources, for example nursing. Arrangements However, the MaSN Cap should are also in place for the division of not be used as an excuse to focus courses in certain subject areas (e.g. enhanced Letterkenny IT-University agriculture-related) among institutions in of Ulster collaboration only on part- Northern Ireland. These characteristics time undergraduate and postgraduate reflect legacies of the higher education provision. Enhanced cooperation operating system in the North and it between the two largest higher may be the case that they could be education institutions in the region (unintentionally) limiting institutions’ should be ambitious to the extent ability to respond to new course of also providing additional full- opportunities.5 time undergraduate courses, which would permit further and subsequent Currently tuition fees do not apply in the development at both institutions, case of full-time undergraduate courses especially in Donegal. undertaken by EU students in the South (although registration fees are levied). In According to the survey evidence Northern Ireland, institutions charge fees presented in the Indecon report, a up to a maximum level (£3,145 in 2008- significant majority of local businesses 09) to all British, Irish and other and employers, and of post-primary EU students. schools in the north-west region, would like to see a greater number If the cross-border constraints identified and range of both undergraduate and

92 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Media students on graduation day at University of Ulster Coleraine campus postgraduate courses on offer on both addressed as a matter of priority if both sides of the border in the north-west. institutions and the wider north-west These should include general arts and region are to benefit from enhanced humanities courses, as well as more collaboration (provided any new joint vocationally-oriented courses such as ventures are designed to meet identified engineering and business studies. demands).

It appears that the existing joint Profile of the University of Ulster initiatives between Letterkenny IT and the University of Ulster have The University of Ulster is the largest been designed to ‘skirt’ around the provider of higher education in Northern differences in the higher education Ireland – in fact in the island of Ireland operating systems between North – with approximately 25,000 full-time and South, understandably enough. and part-time students. It is a significant However, this has limited the nature contributor to the north-west region: in and extent of cooperation between the 2007-08, the university’s Magee and two institutions. While together the two Coleraine campuses together accounted institutions have been able to design for over 9,000 full-time and part-time some innovative new joint ventures undergraduate and postgraduate (see Existing Collaboration below), the students, and together they employ take-up for which has been consistently approximately 2,000 staff. steady, the situation in which such cooperation has had to navigate around Magee and Coleraine together had the differences in the higher education over 7,600 undergraduate enrolments operating systems needs to be in 2007-08, making up almost 40% of

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 93 the university’s overall undergraduate which is active in international research population in that year. The largest into molecular and nutritional aspects faculties in terms of undergraduate of degenerative diseases and microbial numbers at Magee and Coleraine are and pharmaceutical biotechnology, Life and Health Sciences, the Ulster and comprises approximately 200 Business School, and Arts. Also research staff and doctoral students. important at Magee are the Faculty The Centre for Functional Genomics, of Social Sciences and the Faculty of established in October 2003 at the Computing and Engineering – each Coleraine campus with £2 million in of which accounted for well over 500 funding from the EU Programme for undergraduate enrolments in 2007-08. Peace and Reconciliation, aims to develop the existing biotechnology and Over 2,000 postgraduate students biomedical facilities there by focussing are currently enrolled on taught and on functional genomics research with research programmes at Coleraine the potential to have a commercial and Magee. The largest postgraduate impact on biotechnology, biomedicine enrolments in Coleraine are in the and high-added-value food production. Faculties of Life and Health Sciences, The Coleraine campus is also the Social Sciences and Arts; the largest location of the Centre for Coastal and such enrolments at Magee are in Social Marine Research, which is active in Sciences, the Ulster Business School, research into coastal environments Arts, and Life and Health Sciences. and coastal geology, archaeology and management. The presence of the latter The University of Ulster has a strong research centre is noteworthy given that record of achievement in research. the north-west region boasts one of the In the most recent UK Research longest and geologically most diverse Assessment Exercise (RAE) (December coastlines on the island. 2008), the university achieved strong performances in nursing and Celtic As well as Celtic studies, other studies (with 100% of research in research strengths at the University these areas classified as international of Ulster’s Magee campus include IT quality). The RAE results also confirm and electronics, multi-media, design, the University of Ulster’s research international business, psychology, strengths in biomedical sciences, law, nursing, history and social policy. architecture and the built environment, Designated research centres include media studies and art and design. the Intelligent Systems Research Centre Significant improvement in the quality (ISRC), the Academy for Irish Cultural of research in areas such as computing Heritages, the Institute of Ulster Scots and nanotechnology were also recorded Studies, the Transitional Justice Institute in the 2008 RAE. and INCORE (International Conflict Research). New initiatives underway on The Coleraine and Magee campuses the Derry campus include the Creative play an important role in the university’s Technologies (Industries) Research research strengths. Coleraine is home Centre, the Centre for Postgraduate to the Centre for Molecular Biosciences, Professional Legal Education, the

94 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Clinical Translational Research and has approximately 3,000 students, Innovation Centre (CTRIC) at Altnagelvin comprising about 2,500 full-time Hospital, as well as developments in and 500 part-time students over two financial services, construction, quantity campuses, the main campus being surveying and spatial planning, and located in Letterkenny (the largest urban psychology. centre in Donegal) and the tourism and hospitality campus in Killybegs in south- Knowledge and technology exchange west Donegal. is promoted by the Office of Innovation at the University of Ulster through The built environment at Letterkenny IT a range of initiatives and ongoing has undergone significant transformation collaboration with business and industry. in recent years. This includes the The university’s participation in such Business Development Centre, launched activities includes collaboration with in 2000, which provides 1,100 square local enterprises through the FUSION metres of specialist incubation space Programme (an all-island initiative and associated supports for high-tech managed by InterTradeIreland) and start-ups. Under the Irish National Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Development Plan, it is planned that more then 2,000 square metres of The Magee Science Park focusses on space dedicated to specialist research software development and advanced and enterprise development facilities will IT while the Coleraine Science Park be available at Letterkenny IT. concentrates on life, health and environmental technologies. Both Most courses at Letterkenny IT are at have been active in incubating a range bachelor degree level or higher. Of the of entrepreneurial ventures and in 66 courses offered in 2007-08, over generating significant new high quality three-quarters were at these levels, employment locally. including 20 bachelor degrees at honours level and six masters degree Profile of Letterkenny Institute courses. The latter include the MSc in of Technology Innovation Management in the Public Service, a unique, specialist course Established in 1971, Letterkenny IT offered jointly by Letterkenny IT and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 95 the University of Ulster on a part-time • The Postgraduate Certificate in basis throughout the island of Ireland. Higher Education Practice (PgCHEP) This course offers graduates joint – this course is delivered by the accreditation in both Ireland and the UK University of Ulster to lecturing staff (by HETAC and the University of at Letterkenny IT as a means of Ulster respectively). ensuring high quality standards in teaching, learning and research. It Like the University of Ulster, offers graduates the possibility of Letterkenny IT has a tradition of proceeding to obtain diploma and catering for mature students. These masters qualifications in higher students account for approximately education practice. one-fifth of all undergraduates at the institute, illustrating its commitment to The University of Ulster’s Diploma in lifelong learning in the north-west Nursing at Letterkenny IT provided region. Notwithstanding its relatively the foundation for the subsequent small size, Letterkenny IT has some development of the institute’s own suite clear research strengths. These of nursing degrees from 2002, namely include the Centre of Applied Marine the BSc in General Nursing, the BSc Biotechnology (CAMBio) and electronics, in Intellectual Disability Nursing and production and innovation in the the BSc in Psychiatric Nursing. These EpiCentre. The latter brings together the honours level degree courses are funded University of Ulster, Letterkenny IT and by the Irish Department of Health North West Regional College in Derry. In and Children. December 2008 it was announced that the EpiCentre project at Letterkenny IT The growth of nursing studies has would benefit from Enterprise Ireland been one of the main developments at funding of over €1m (£1.1m) to aid the Letterkenny IT in recent years. Coupled construction of the WiSAR Lab (Wireless with the fact that the University of Ulster Sensor Applied Research). This is a pioneered nursing degree courses at significant development for cross-border Coleraine and Magee, it would appear research in the north-west. that the north-west region may have a comparative advantage in the provision Existing collaboration of nursing education. Also noteworthy in this regard is the presence of two Initiatives in joint course development major hospitals in the region in Derry between the two institutions include: (Altnagelvin) and Letterkenny.

• The aforementioned MSc in Joint initiatives between the two Innovation Management in the institutions in research and technology Public Service – the only course of exchange include the aforementioned its type in the island of Ireland. This EpiCentre and the North West Science had 61 students enrolled in 2007-08 and Technology Partnership. Both and produced 25 graduates in 2006: initiatives also involve North West 11 from Northern Ireland and 14 Regional College in Derry (a large from the Republic. further education college that is growing

96 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 its provision of higher education from the region, including from North courses). West Regional College); • Collaboration with local business Conclusion and industry regarding information and technology transfer, R&D There is considerable scope and local and innovation, and business support, and need, to develop the development. provision of higher education in the north-west region. The most effective With regard to full-time and part-time way of achieving this is through undergraduate and postgraduate enhanced collaboration between the initiatives, there should be a particular two largest third-level education focus on developing STEM subjects vital providers in the region, the University of for the economic development of the Ulster and Letterkenny IT. It is important region (in science, technology, business, that an appropriately ambitious finance and health). approach is taken – one that is not unduly encumbered by differences in Enhanced collaboration should also the higher education operating systems seek to develop PhD qualifications in the between the two jurisdictions. region, including doctoral study among Letterkenny IT staff. Increasing the stock This ambitious approach should of PhDs would have the double benefit include the requirement that any of helping to enhance the quality of the further collaboration between the two region’s teaching and research, and of institutions should not be confined to acting as a signal of high quality skills for part-time and lifelong learning courses potential inward investors. Consideration (which are, of course, important), but should also be given to the development should also aim at developing the of professional PhDs in the region, for following aspects of higher education example the Doctor of Nursing Studies delivery, as a means of retaining a (DNSc) qualification, aimed at further greater proportion of the brightest development of specialised nursing school-leavers, who otherwise are at risk practice in the region. of leaving the region for most if not all of their working lives: Fundamental to maximising the potential of lifelong learning in the region will • Full-time undergraduate courses be to recognise previous learning (for (in the arts, humanities and social example, acquired in the workplace) and sciences as well as in the more provide flexible delivery modes (including technical and vocationally-oriented e-learning). It is important that a courses traditionally associated with consistent approach to lifelong learning the colleges in the region); is taken by both institutions in any future • Full-time postgraduate programmes joint course development. (aimed at attracting graduates from outside the region as well as building Specific areas of potential on the graduates coming through collaboration in research activity

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 97 between the two institutions may economist with extensive project include (but not necessarily be limited experience in Ireland, Northern to) marine, biomedicine, biotechnology, Ireland, Great Britain and Europe. electronics, computing (including He played a leading role in the games), business and creative Indecon report commissioned by technologies – reflecting existing or Letterkenny Institute of Technology emerging research strengths in the and the University of Ulster. Any two institutions. Consideration should views expressed in this paper are the also be given to the extension of the author’s personal views. Creative Technologies (Industries) Research Centre at Magee to include Letterkenny IT and North West REFERENCES Regional College. 1. North West Gateway Strategic Finally, there is also potential to further Alliance (NWGSA) Scoping Study, develop collaboration between the two Indecon International Economic institutions in the area of knowledge and Consultants, May 2009. technology exchange with business and industry. Enhanced cooperation through 2. Comprehensive Study on the All- pooling of expertise would see greater Island Economy, British-Irish Inter- availability of experts; wider geographical Governmental Conference, 2006. coverage across the region; greater opportunities for student placements, 3. All-Island Skills Study, Expert Group and support for business development on Future Skills Needs and the NI Skills and innovation. In such initiatives, Expert Group, 2008. it would be important to ensure appropriate publicity and signposting of 4. Analysis of official figures by Indecon business support functions available at reveals that the further education both institutions because the provision colleges in Northern Ireland are growing of such support may be currently their provision of higher education characterised by lack of information. courses, which is an important development in enhancing educational At time of writing, the University of attainment across NI. Ulster and Letterkenny IT are finalising a ‘blueprint’ for closer collaboration 5. For example, reflecting initiatives which will be published later this year. to build on the island’s comparative This initiative is understood to have the strengths in agri-food, despite the support of both the Northern Ireland current difficulties facing the sector, Department for Employment and opportunities are likely to arise in the Learning and the Irish Department of coming years in specific niches within Education and Science. the sector, including agronomy and food innovation, as the agri-food value Dr. Pat McCloughan is a Divisional chain from farm to fork becomes more Director with Indecon International business-like and market-oriented. Economic Consultants. He is an

98 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Nationalism in the service of a better chance for a bigger life: a response to Robin Wilson

Eoin Ó Broin

Nationalism, as ideology and political practice, has been blamed for many things. Two world wars, the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, and even the collapse of the recent Copenhagen climate change negotiations have all been laid at nationalism’s door. That the justification for such arguments is usually without empirical foundation and Eoin Ó Broin based on questionable theoretical foundations matters little to its proponents. Increasingly, and particularly among liberal and social democratic writers and activists, nationalism is seen as divisive, dangerous and undemocratic: to be consigned to the ideological dustbin of history.

Of course it wasn’t always so. There subjects, demarcated territorial claims was a long moment in European defining the limits of their imagined state, intellectual history when nationalism and demanded sovereignty. was broadly understood in positive By the mid point of the 20th century terms. From its emergence during the nationalism and the nation-state revolutions of the 1840s through to de- formed the ideological and architectural colonisation in the 1960s, nationalism underpinning for democratic regimes was viewed as an essential ingredient in across the globe. Again in theory, if not the formation of democratic states. always in practice, the sovereign citizen was the basic unit of the nation-state, From the end of the 19th century, the linchpin of its democracy. At the in theory, if not always in practice, global level the nation was the subject of the nation-state became the norm international relations and law. for peoples in search of democracy, equality and self-determination. Cultural, Of course in practice there were linguistic and historic communities democratic regimes that failed to project formed themselves into political and promote the rights of either their

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 99 own citizens and those resident within the failure of the newly independent the boundaries of the state. There post-colonial states to live up to the were others which, while normatively social and economic promise of their democratic at a domestic level, paid respective independence movements. scant regard to individual or state rights For others it was an increasing at the international level. And there were unwillingness to take sides in what were those which sought to advocate, and in seen as territorial disputes between many cases succeeded in advancing, competing nationalisms. individual and collective rights at the domestic and international level. For sections of the left it was the failure of the 1981 Mitterrand government to But everyone was a nationalist. adequately respond to the collapse Ideological contests were not between of Keynesian social democracy. For nationalists and anti-nationalists but others it was the apparent triumph between left and right. Liberalism, of ethno-nationalism emerging from capitalism and socialism vied for the ruins of the USSR, and with it position, and each sought to situate the spectre of ethnic cleansing in their claims to political legitimacy the former Yugoslavia. Most recently within the language and collective the deregulating logic of neo-liberal experience of national communities and globalisation and a post-nationalist nation-states. cosmopolitan desire to re-regulate at the level of the global, has brought Of course contrary to the claims of many into being a contradictory yet nationalists themselves, these national complementary constituency that seeks communities were always heterogenous, to move beyond the nation state. always contested and perpetually in the process of being constructed and And yet, in the broad ranging debate re-constructed. When was the nation? that has followed this problematising What was the nation? Where was the of nationalism and the nation-state nation? And crucially, who was the something seems to have gotten lost; nation? These were the questions namely the very function of nationalism that framed the ideological space in and the nation-state. which claims for political, economic and cultural power were fought out. The function of nationalism However, rarely if ever was the nation itself, whether political, cultural or Our modern conversation on nationalism geographical, called into question. and the nation-state began in 1983 with the publication of two books, But then something happened. The Ernst Gellner’s Nations and Nationalism almost invisible omnipresence of and Benedict Anderson’s Imagined nationalism and the nation-state was Communities.1 Together these brought into question, and its legitimacy, writers have done much to frame the as the organising unit of modern political subsequent debate. life, was challenged. For some it was

100 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 The date is also important as it marks this distinction one could also read the end of the European left-liberal oppositions including: political versus infatuation with anti-imperial struggles cultural; French versus German; around the globe, and the collapse universal versus parochial; democratic of the post-war European social versus undemocratic; peaceful versus democratic settlements, which together violent; and benign versus belligerent. have provided much of the unconscious rationale for what was to become the For this writer, and not withstanding post-national turn in European liberal-left an earlier adherence to the civic political discourse. versus ethnic opposition, a number of conclusions can be drawn from the Gellner and Anderson introduced now rich literature on nationalism and two key questions into academic the nation-state. The first conclusion understandings of nationalism and is that nationalism and nation-states, the nation-state: namely whether the while built out of older cultural material, nation was a product of modern or are definitively modern phenomena. pre-modern historical and sociological To consider oneself as a national of forces, and whether nations were natural a particular nation-state is something phenomena or brought into being by distinct to the modern world, political and economic actors unimaginable before the 17th or 18th and forces. centuries.

The debate sparked by Gellner between The second conclusion is that it was modernists and perennialists overlapped indeed nationalists who brought national with and reinforced that initiated by movements into being in order to Anderson between constructivists and create territorially defined nation states naturalists. After Gellner scholars asked inhabited by culturally and linguistically themselves to what extend nationalism defined national communities. National and nation-states were a product of communities are imagined, or more industrialisation and modernisation, accurately constructed, from pre- or rooted further back in pre-modern national cultural and political material history. After Anderson scholars during periods of democratisation, debated the extent to which it was the whether in the 19th or 20th centuries. nationalists themselves who brought nations and nation-states into being, or The third conclusion is that the whether nations required nationalism to distinction between civic and secure their rights and place in cultural nationalism, no matter how the world. politically attractive, is a nonsense. All nationalisms are, in part or whole, A further division in the debate emerged cultural phenomena. The nationalism with the distinction drawn by Miroslav of the French revolution, despite its Hroch2 between Western European grounding in Enlightenment values of civic nationalism and Eastern European universal rights, was culturally specific ethnic-nationalism. Mapped onto to a French nation then in the process

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 101 of construction. It mobilised opposition Of course, neither constitutive nor to the allegedly parochial, backward procedural ideologies can, in and of regional cultural and linguistic identities themselves, direct a political subject of the Basques and Bretons, among towards the outcome of its procedural others, as part of its construction of a deliberations. For this, The People, modern, centralised, civic yet crucially however defined, and utilising whatever French nation-state. This third point set of rules, must decide on the kind of is important, as it reveals a confusion society they want to live in. They need that lies at the heart of so much of the a set of substantive norms to determine contemporary debate on nationalism: how best to produce and distribute namely what it is that is distinct about economic, political, cultural and spiritual nationalism as an ideology and the rights, responsibility and resources. nation-state as an organising principle of Capitalism, socialism and liberalism are modern politics. all substantive ideologies in this sense.

By way of explanation, it may be useful Although this distinction is neither rigid to think of modern political ideologies nor without elements of overlap and as providing three distinct sets of logics: bleed, it does help explain why, for constitutive, procedural and substantive. example, nationalism can never, in and Nationalism is a constitutive ideology. of itself, be civic. For that it requires Its function is to constitute a political republicanism. Equally it helps explain subject, namely The People, out of an why, and not withstanding the claims of existing but reconfigured articulation of liberals or socialists, subjectivities based cultural and linguistic identities. These on social class or individual rights must identities are authentic, in the sense of always be anchored in national cultural having real lived material presence, and traditions, British liberalism and French invented, in the sense of having been communism being cases in point. materially produced and reproduced by human beings in specific sets of social Herein lies the power of nationalism and and economic circumstances. the nation-state, explaining its almost universal purchase and persistence in An example of a procedural ideology, the modern world – namely its unrivalled on the other hand, would be strength as a subject-constituting republicanism, which has little to say ideology. about how to constitute its political subject and everything to say about The limits of nationalism how that subject, The People, should govern itself, once constituted. If the strength of nationalism and Republicanism is an ideology that, by the nation-state lies in their ability to providing rules for decision-making, constitute and situate the political enables an already constituted political subject of the nation as a people and subject to make decisions about its geographic and historic place, it is own affairs. also here that nationalism’s limits are to be found, and it is on these limits

102 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 that nationalism’s strongest critics have Free State or the anti-communist witch focused their attentions in recent times. hunts in McCarthy’s United States of America are cases in point. At a theoretical level there are at least three obvious limits to nationalism in The third limit, and determined directly this regard. The first limit is that national by the first two, is that rights and political subjectivities, like all identities, resources in any given nation-state are are constructed through the interplay distributed to citizens and non-citizen of essence and difference. Nationalists, residents according to the exclusionary working with already existing cultural logic of nationalism’s own sense of material, articulate a sense of identity self. This logic determines who can that is simultaneously essential to enter the state, on what terms and itself and distinct from its other. While with what rights; and within the state language, and linguistic difference, is the who is accorded what rights, and what most obvious material to achieve this punishments are due when normative objective, it is not always available, and responsibilities are infringed. Unlike broader cultural or historical elements the first two limits, the third presents may be brought into play. nationalism with a serious challenge that it ignores at its own peril. Nationalism’s critics argue that this manoeuvre is inherently divisive, as it Put simply, these three limits, demands that the identity of the nation argue nationalism’s critics, produce is defined in opposition to, and therefore xenophobia, discrimination and in conflict with, its other. A conflation inequality. And the critics are partially of in-opposition-to and in-conflict-with right. But crucially these limits are not allows critics to locate what they believe inherent to the successful functioning to be the belligerent logic of nationalism, of nationalism as a subject-constituting which provides a powerful though wholly ideology. Nor must we abandon the inadequate explanatory framework for positive strengths of nationalism in order conflicts in the North of Ireland, the to resolve them. former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Indeed throughout nationalism’s history, The second limit is that in addition to and within any given national movement, defining itself against external others, there have been counter-nationalisms, nationalism seeks to homogenise its struggling to resolve and resist interior, categorising its own citizens attempts by dominant-nationalisms to against a continuum of national constitute the nation according to these authenticity. That this homogenising xenophobic, discriminatory and drive is a function of the will to power unequal logics. of specific groups within the nation rather than nationalism itself does not In an Irish context, there is a long weaken the attraction of the argument tradition of counter-nationalisms to the for nationalism’s critics. The Catholic dominant nationalist/unionist discourse exclusivism of the early years of the Irish that became hegemonic across the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 103 island in the immediate aftermath of the betray a belief that “however unsettlingly Civil War and Anglo-Irish settlement. Ireland may have changed over the These alternative traditions have sought centuries, ‘Irishness’ remains a rock to articulate an infusion of cultural of certainty to which to cling.”3 Wilson nationalism, civic republicanism, went on to mobilise a series of critics democratic socialism and radical of nationalism, and cultural or ethno- feminism. Intuitively, if not consciously, nationalism in particular, to support his they have sought to construct a principle conclusion that ‘republicanism nationalism and a nation-state that is is running out of steam’ and should be cosmopolitan, heterodox and egalitarian. replaced by a cosmopolitan politics. One can think of James Connolly, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Sean O’Faolain, I will return to the issue of Peadar O’Donnell and George Gilmore cosmopolitanism below, but firstly I want as just some of the figures whose to engage with Wilson’s initial claim: that political and literary practice intuitively Irish nationalism is exclusive, isolationist and self-consciously sought to and unable to respond effectively to constitute a national subject that was difference and the demands of an ever outward looking, plural and inclusive. globalising world. While Wilson does not name any nationalist political party, Nationalism’s critics can only conclude I’m sure he would apply his critique of that nationalism and the nation-state nationalism to Sinn Féin, and so I will is unable to escape its xenephobic, use Sinn Féin’s nationalism to test discriminatory and inegalitarian limits by his case. blinding themselves to those nationalists who have or are continuing to seek At a theoretical level Wilson, like many effective solutions to these problems. Irish writers, conflates republicanism and For this writer, the issue is not whether nationalism. He ignores the fact that Irish nationalism continues to have a future, republicanism predates Irish nationalism but what kind of nationalism best suits by almost half a century; that their the future we want to build? And in ideological and organisational functions answering this question, those of us and forms are distinct; and that neither who believe that we need nationalism can be viewed as a single homogenous now more than ever must demonstrate entity. In his essay, republicanism that our intellectual and organisational appears at times as a civic alternative to project has found an effective response cultural nationalism, while at others as to its own limits and to the challenges of a form of cultural nationalism disguised nationalism’s critics. as Enlightenment universalism. As a consequence, Wilson’s theoretical Misreading nationalism understanding of what constitutes Irish republicanism or nationalism at any Writing in the 2009 edition of Journal of specific moment in almost 200 hundred Cross Border Studies in Ireland, Robin years of history is collapsed into a Wilson argued that Irish nationalist crude caricature. parties, in commemorating Wolfe Tone,

104 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 James Connolly Hannah Sheehy- Sean O Faolain Peadar O’Donnell Skeffington

In turn, he misreads the interrelationship reconciliation across the island as a between civic republicanism and the whole’ is hard to square with the impact conservative cultural nationalism that on Northern Unionists of FitzGerald’s underwrote the early decades of the negotiation of the 1985 Anglo-Irish Southern State, and erases from history Agreement or the impact on Northern the counter-nationalisms that challenged Nationalists of Cruise O’Brien’s the exclusions and inequalities that introduction of Section 31 of the lay at the heart of the post-partition Broadcasting Act. settlements North and South.The consequence is that he refuses both the In support of his argument, and in existence of and the difference between addition to his theoretical confusion, the conservative Catholic nationalism of Wilson attempts to impose his own De Valera, for example, and the radical readings onto events such as the annual socialist-feminist nationalism of Wolfe Tone commemorations and the Sheehy-Skeffington. outcome of EU referenda, contrary to the available empirical evidence. Nationalism, for Wilson, is at all times culturally exclusive and politically Republican commemorations, isolationist. Indeed it is only when particularly those celebrating the nationalism calls on itself to abandon founding moment of our political that which makes it national – in the tradition, are not about constructing writing of Conor Cruise O’Brien or a sense of cultural continuity to politics of Garret FitzGerald – that compensate for the reality of social Wilson appears to concede the and cultural change. Rather they are possibility of ‘reconstruction’. However mobilisations aimed at re-legitimising in reality these figures are simply the a civic republican political project, progenitors of Wilson’s own post- while similtaneously rearticulating the nationalism, rather than sources of any republican principles of liberty, equality counter-nationalism. and solidarity in new and ever changing contexts. Moreover his claim that their politics were ‘more conducive...to fostering Speaking at the 2009 Wolfe Tone

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 105 Commemoration in Bodenstown, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness concluded by saying:

Sinn Fein will continue to stand up for ordinary people and to speak out for those who this government would seek to ignore – not the bankers and property speculators being bailed out with the people’s money but those who Wolfe Tone referred to as ‘the people of no property’. Our work in continuing to build national reconciliation, in seeking to bring about harmony between Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter on this island, will also continue. And we will continue to pursue the unity and freedom of our country. These were the aims of Wolfe Tone. They are our aims. Martin McGuinness speaking at the Wolfe Tone Commemoration in Bodenstown, Co Kildare With these words, McGuinness was drawing on three important strands of the principle ‘No’ campaigns, but by republican discourse, the aim of which is detailed opinion polls conducted both by not to construct continuity with the past, Millward Brown IMS for the Department but to motivate and mobilize for change of Foreign Affairs and the European in the present and future. The first of Commission’s Eurobarometer poll. these strands is a politics of social and economic equality; the second a politics In both opinion polls a clear majority of of cultural and religious pluralism; and ‘No’ voters believed that Ireland should the third national political and territorial remain in the European Union and that reunification. Wilson does a disservice its interests were best served by that both to republicans and to the quality membership. Both opinion polls also list of his own argument by crudely a detailed series of reasons why people misrepresenting such commemorative rejected the Treaty, including insufficient political mobilisations in this way. knowledge of the Treaty; opposition to the policy direction of the EU in relation His arguments with regard to the Lisbon to workers rights and defence policy; Treaty operate similarly. His assertion and opposition to the perceived negative that the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in consequences for smaller member 2008 represented a ‘dip into isolationist states of the proposed redistribution of discourse’ is directly contradicted power contained in the Treaty. not only by the political discourse of

106 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Wilson offers no substantive evidence ever globalising world, Sinn Féin’s to support his view that the 2008 ‘No’ nationalism, complemented as it is to Lisbon vote was a consequence of with civic republicanism, democratic some selfish knee-jerk unreconstructed socialism, feminism and isolationist nationalism. internationalism, is outward-looking, plural and inclusive. A more grounded explanation would suggest that, as with voters in France Cosmopolitanism equals liberalism and the Netherlands who rejected the EU Constitution in 2005, a left-led In place of this alledgedly exclusive, campaign convinced a majority of the isolationist and unresponsive electorate to oppose both the current nationalism, Wilson proposes a political policy consensus and proposed future cosmopolitanism, that ‘makes a direction offered by a neo-liberal centre- fundamental break with homogenous right coalition in both the European conceptions of national identity.’ Of Commission and Council. course he ignores the fact that almost all forms of nationalism allow for local Indeed Sinn Féin, as one of the lead and regional identities to coexist above voices in the ‘No’ to Lisbon campaign, and below that of the national; and emphasised time and again that Ireland’s that since the Enlightenment, cultural place was at the heart of Europe, and particularism and civic universalism have that opposition to the Lisbon Treaty did been combined together to provide the not constitute opposition to the EU itself. foundations of variants of conservatism, The party provided a detailed critique of liberalism and socialism. the contents of the Treaty, and argued that it would affect both the architecture Indeed his misreadings of nationalism and policy agenda of the Union in ways are less a serious attempt to critique that would be bad for Ireland, the EU as any actually existing ideological or a whole and the developing world. organisational nationalist project, but rather a pretext for a more basic Indeed Sinn Féin has been Ireland’s proposition: namely a return to good most vocal critic of the ongoing refusal old-fashioned liberalism. As has been of the majority of older EU member the case with liberalism since the 18th states, and Irish political parties, to grant century, the real object of Wilson’s full freedom of movement to all citizens critique is not nationalism or the nation- of EU accession states, and of the state, but any form of ‘collectivised increasingly draconian ‘Fortress Europe’ “imagined community”. He argues for agenda emerging on issues of asylum an ‘individualistic concept of society’ and immigration at an EU level. in which an ‘egalitarian individualism... treats individuals, not states or Contrary to Wilson’s portrayal of Irish ”communities” as the unit of moral nationalism as exclusive, isolationist concern.’ and unable to respond effectively to difference and the demands of an In concrete terms, Wilson proposes

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 107 that the British government’s 2005 political life, it could be argued that community relations policy for the North its privileging of the individual, and of Ireland, A Shared Future, embodies a intolerance to any form of collective ‘political philosophy of cosmopolitanism’ identity, replicates the exclusions and laments Sinn Féin’s shelving of and discriminations which he finds the proposals post 2007. For Sinn so abhorrent in those ‘collectivised Féin, however, A Shared Future, rather “imagined communities”. It also than embodying some egalitarian ignores the extent to which individual cosmopolitan ideal, avoids key issues of identities are as imagined and as inequality at a structural and collective problematic as collectivised identities, level, which Wilson’s ‘individualised and contain within them the same concept of society’ is simply unable to potential for xenophobia, discrimination understand or address. Discrimination and exclusion as their community and exclusion more often than not counterparts. occur at a collective or community level on grounds of class, gender, religion, More fundamentally, Wilson’s ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation cosmopolitan liberalism ignores the and so on. fact that any ideology that seeks to constitute its subjectivity exclusively Creating a shared future, in Ireland or through the individual, cannot hope to elsewhere, will require the dismantling be sustainable and/or durable. Identities of structural architectures of inequality are unavoidably collective, requiring and exclusion, and the protection imagined communities of one sort or of both individual and collective another to give them meaning and rights, something which the British substance. government’s community relations policy is neither intended for nor capable To put it another way, Wilson’s of doing. cosmopolitan individualism is simply a retreat into an unreconstructed It is important to stress that Sinn Féin’s liberalism. Like other former left argument is not the opposite of Wilson’s, intellectuals of his generation, the as the party is strongly in favour of a Bill disappointments and challenges of Rights that provides for the social, of earlier political alignments and economic, political and cultural rights of associations have led him to abandon the individual. Rather the party believes the collective foundations of political that a more profoundly egalitarian rights- identity and action, and substitute based approach to policy-making must for them a bland individualism, which include collective and community rights, seeks to situate the liberal intellectual including national rights alongside more above the competing claims of so many traditional claims to individual rights. collectivities.

Indeed, rather than see Wilson’s The irony is that, understood in this cosmopolitan individualism as a more way, Wilson’s cosmopolitanism, rather egalitarian and tolerant approach to than offering some new ideological

108 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5

and organisational project to conception of sovereignty is neither confront the challenges of our times, insular nor anachronistic, but a genuinely actually represents the final retreat radical democratic one, in which self- of an embattled and defeated social determination is vested in people in a democracy into the embrace of social plurality of ways - individual, communal, liberalism. In doing so, Wilson, like local, national, international - while other social democratic supporters recognising the complexity of life in of the current right-wing direction of today’s internationalised world. the European Union, provides political cover to the neo-liberal impulses of The challenge today is to articulate corporate-led globalisation as enshrined, forms of sovereignty and self- for example, in the EU’s Lisbon Strategy determination and to build institutions of and the Lisbon Treaty’s agenda for governance that are open, democratic, international trade. plural and just, in meaningful and materially effective ways. Central to this Nationalism now more than ever articulation has to be a socio-political and economic critique of contemporary So where does this leave nationalism as society that recognises the structural we enter the second decade of the 21st inequalities embedded in the very fabric century? Has the era of the nation-state of our lives. These structural inequalities come to and end? Has nationalism – along lines of class, gender, race, exhausted its political repertoire? religion and sexual orientation to name a few – form the architecture in which This writer thinks not. The fact that we live our lives and which prevent us there are more national movements from realising the meaning of equality. and more nation-states than at any From such a critique we can build other time in history should give pause strategies for removing these inequalities for thought. Today, more than ever, we and continue the long and uncharted need nationalism, but a nationalism that process of building new architectures can overcome its own limits, and avoid – social, political, economic – based the xenophobias, discriminations and not on inequality and discrimination, exclusions that have been a feature of but on empowerment and solidarity. many of its conservative, liberal and This process of critique, strategy and socialist variants since the 19th century. struggle is what I understand to be socialism, albeit heavily indebted to the Rather than abandon nationalism and parallel movements of feminism, anti- the nation-state, this writer believes imperialism, anti-racism and ecologism that the best form of democracy can be which have motivated progressive achieved in Ireland today through the movements across the globe throughout ending of partition, the withdrawal of the the 20th century. British state from the North of Ireland and the building of a political system This articulation is left republicanism: in which all the people who inhabit a commitment to radical participatory the island of Ireland are sovereign. My democracy, popular pluralist sovereignty,

110 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 social and economic justice, and integral element, of a broader, deeper political and cultural equality, coupled radicalism mobilised ‘in the service of with a commitment to confronting an attempt to give ordinary men and and challenging the loci of power women a better chance for a bigger life.’ and inequality which constitute the architecture of modern society. In the 2016 marks the centenary of the 1916 process we will radically alter the way rising. This event was not an isolated in which we as human beings organise Irish affair, but part of a much greater our lives. global process of modernisation and democratisation, of which the Mexican In what must be the most potent and revolution of 1910, the World War of powerful call to action in recent times, 1914-1918 and the Russian revolution the Brazilian politician and social theorist of 1917 were a part. Roberto Mangabeira Unger, in his 2009 manifesto, The Left Alternative,4 As we approach the centenary of called on progressives across the this foundational moment of modern globe to ‘build a world of democracies Irish republicanism, those of us who in which the individual is empowered remain committed to the emancipatory to participate and dissent.’ He argues promise of nationalism, republicanism, that ‘nationalism was one of the most socialism and feminism need to critically unexpected and powerful transforming assess our century of struggle in order forces in modern history.’ And though to learn the mistakes made by our recognising that today nationalism ‘has predecessors, to strengthen our political become a dangerous diversion’, Unger capacity in the present and future. In does not call for its abandonment, but doing so, those of us who believe that rather for it to be ‘reinterpreted and a better Ireland, Europe and world redirected’ in order to ‘become an is possible must continue to build a opportunity for the advancement of progressive politics, with ambitious progressive alternatives.’ strategies aimed at implementing more radical policies in order to achieve our Unger advocates a programme of objectives, namely an independent ‘revolutionary reform’ that seeks to ‘turn democratic socialist Ireland, playing a democratic politics, market economies central part in the ongoing struggles for and free civil societies into machines a more democratic Europe and a more for developing distinct and novel forms socially and economically just world. of life.’ As part of this process he calls for ‘successful national heresy within Eoin Ó Broin is a policy analyst, the global economy, democratising political activist and writer based markets, deepening democracies and in Dublin. He is the chairperson of empowering individuals’. For Unger, as Dublin Sinn Féin and a member of for this writer, the nation and national its Ard Comhairle. His first book, difference is not privileged above Matxinada - Basque Nationalism other subjectivities, whether individual and Radical Basque Movements, or collective, but an element, and an was published in 2003. His second

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 111 book, Sinn Féin and the Politics of Left Republicanism, was published by Pluto Press in 2009. His next book, A Better Ireland? - New Policies, Strategies and Alliances, will be published by Pluto Press later this year. He writes a weekly column for An Phoblacht and is a regular contributor to www.politico.ie.

REFERENCES

1. Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism. Oxford: Blackwell (second edition, 2006); Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. London: Verso (1991, revised)

2. Miroslav Hroch, Social Conditions of National Revival in Europe. Cambridge University Press (1985)

3. Robin Wilson, ‘Towards cosmopolitanism? Renewing Irishness in the 21st century, in The Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland. No 4 (Spring 2009) Armagh: Centre for Cross Border Studies

4. Roberto Mangabeira Unger, The Left Alternative (2009) London: Verso

112 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 President McAleese with board members, staff and friends of the Centre for Cross Border Studies at a reception to mark the Centre’s 10th birthday in Áras an Uachtaráin on 14 September 2009.

THE CENTRE FOR CROSS BORDER STUDIES

March 2010 principal financial contributors in the past year have been the EU INTERREG IVA The Centre for Cross Border programme and the Irish Department of Studies, founded in September Education and Science. The Centre has 1999 and based in Armagh and also raised a significant proportion of its Dublin, researches and develops income through sponsorship and selling cooperation across the Irish its research and consultancy services to border in education, training, government and other agencies. health, ICT, the economy, public administration, agriculture, planning, Controversy about constitutional the environment and other practical relations between Northern Ireland areas. It also provides management, and the Republic of Ireland now training and ICT support services obscures less than ever before the to North-South and cross-border broad consensus that exists in both organisations and networks, and jurisdictions about the value of cross- develops and manages cross-border border cooperation on practical issues. information websites. This holds that a low level of contact and communication across the Irish border The Centre is an independent company damages the well-being of both parts limited by guarantee (UK charity no. of the island, and there is a clear need XR 31047) and is owned jointly by to identify and overcome the present Queen’s University Belfast, Dublin City barriers to cooperation and mutual University and the Workers’ Educational understanding. Association (Northern Ireland). Its

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 113 PURPOSE which have a strong education, research and development The pragmatic view, that cooperation dimension; should take place where it brings real • Provide training programmes for benefits to both parts of the island, is public officials and others in North- weakened by an additional factor: there South cooperation in Ireland; has been too little research to date on • Provide sources of comprehensive how this practical cooperation is to be and accurate information about achieved, and how the outcomes of North-South and cross-border such research should be developed. cooperation in Ireland. The Centre for Cross Border Studies – itself a unique expression of cross- WEBSITES border cooperation – provides an objective, university-based setting for CCBS HOUSE WEBSITE policy research into and development of such cooperation. www.crossborder.ie

The Centre is a policy research and development institute, whose purpose is to:

• Identify gaps in cross-border information, research and mutual learning in Ireland; • Commission and publish research on issues related to opportunities for and obstacles to cross-border cooperation in all fields of society and the economy; The number of page views and hits on • Host events at which research the Centre’s home website continued findings can be discussed and to rise (although the number of people disseminated, and at which policy accessing it decreased slightly) in formation in the area of cross-border 2009. On the other hand the number cooperation can be developed; of people visiting one of the Centre’s • Present the findings of such other two major websites, to access research and development projects Border Ireland’s (www.borderireland. to the European Commission, the info) Media Centre, which carries press two governments, the Northern articles about cross-border matters on Ireland Executive, employer, trade a weekly basis, rose sharply to the point union and social partnership bodies, where it now has more users than www. and the wider public; crossborder.ie (see table on • Provide management support for next page). North-South and cross-border organisations and programmes

114 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 www.crossborder.ie

Year Unique Visits Page Hits (monthly average) visitors views

2003 1619 2161 4802 14373 2004 1453 2084 9178 18981 2005 2566 3603 8127 24747 2006 3481 4915 10149 30534 2007 3969 5432 12041 32207 2008 4340 6060 15930 37045 2009 3621 5156 19338 43007

Border Ireland Media Centre (www.borderireland.ie)

2009 3801 7043 24840 82984

BORDER IRELAND Formally launching it in March 2006, the then Irish Minister for Finance, Mr www.borderireland.info Brian Cowen TD, said: “This website will be the keystone for information provision that will enable us all to meet future challenges, be they economic, social or educational. I would encourage everyone who wishes to benefit from a cross-border approach to their activities to make use of this invaluable website.”

By February 2010 Border Ireland had documented (online) the details of 3,782 North-South and cross-border activities, 1,790 organisations, 2,048 publications, Border Ireland is the first ever 1,812 newspaper articles and 2,343 online searchable database individual contacts (people). to provide access to the full range of information on North- With funding from the EU Peace II South and cross-border issues programme, the Centre developed in Ireland, covering education, Border Ireland to centralise the very health, agriculture, transport, the large amount of uncoordinated environment, tourism, culture, and fragmented information about mobility issues, business and North-South cooperation and the community development. Irish border region. This has involved

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 115 the creation of an information collecting data for and maintaining this capture strategy and strong working very large database. The Border Ireland relationships with a network of over Briefings now on the site are: a guide to 200 information providers from all cross-border cooperation in the health government departments, North and services; cooperation between public South; the managing authorities for all libraries; a guide to the geographical EU programmes; relevant charitable location of cross-border cooperation foundations on the island; research activities; an overview of North- coordinators in all higher education South and cross-border cooperation institutions, and key community and in the Common Chapter of the two voluntary, and business leaders. jurisdictions’ development plans; ‘Who’s Who’ in North-South and cross-border Border Ireland is available online at cooperation; and overviews of North- www.borderireland.info where people South and cross-border cooperation can search through the information by in agriculture, economic development, year, sector and location, and view an tourism and transport. organisation’s history of involvement in cross-border cooperation. During 2009 Border Ireland reached a limit on its current platform and we are A second 2006-2008 phase of the now in the process of moving it onto project was implemented through a dedicated webserver with almost support provided under the EU Peace II unlimited space to expand in the future. Extension Programme. The key objective for this second phase was to develop BORDER PEOPLE Border Ireland as the recognised portal for information on and communication www.borderpeople.info about cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland.

In 2008 Border Ireland received a facelift, modifying its presentation to place the Media Centre, featuring regularly updated media reports on North-South and cross-border issues, at the centre of the information provided. The Media Centre is now the most popular and visited page on the site.

Also during this phase, an interactive The Border People online information discussion forum was developed to portal, providing useful citizens’ disseminate Border Ireland Briefings, information for people crossing the to provide responses to ‘A Note from border to live, work, study or retire, is the Next Door Neighbours’ (see below), now three years old. and to communicate progress in

116 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 It was developed in response to a MLA). It received widespread publicity commission from the North/South throughout Northern Ireland and the Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Southern border region, including a full early 2007 with technical assistance page in the Belfast Telegraph. from DID, the web and design team of the Northern Ireland Department of An all-Ireland and international marketing Finance and Personnel, and funded company, Weber Shandwick, was by the EU Peace Two programme. Its retained to publicise the initiative. In second 2009-2011 phase is funded by the summer-autumn of 2008 and the EU INTERREG IVA programme. 2009 there were poster campaigns on billboards, adshels, buses and college Usage in 2009 Pages Hits and university notice boards in Newry, Armagh, Enniskillen, Coleraine, Derry/ January 61,526 191,443 Londonderry, Dundalk, Letterkenny, February 29,829 167,379 Bundoran and Monaghan, and leaflets March 15,184 123,112 and pens were distributed at April 40,459 394,800 targeted events. May 68,905 418,682 June 38,796 318,614 The Border People public information July 38,114 335,098 website – the first of its kind on August 36,551 340,695 the island of Ireland – is structured September 37,157 364,987 around the four themes of Commute, October 43,713 384,903 Work, Live, Study. It includes in- November 45,902 390,429 depth information on a range of December 33,385 275,599 subjects in both Irish jurisdictions, including taxation, social security, The prototype website was officially job seeking, qualifications, health, launched (initially as education, housing, banking and www.crossbordermobility.info) in telecommunications. The website October 2007 at a meeting of the content has been continuously updated North/South Ministerial Council in in consultation with Borderwise, the Ballymascanlon, Co. Louth by the cross-border advice and information First Minister of Northern Ireland, Dr service provided by Citizens Advice Ian Paisley MP MLA, the Deputy First Northern Ireland and the Citizens Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness MP Information Board in the Republic of MLA and the Irish Minister for Foreign Ireland. At time of writing there are Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern TD. Work no staff employed in Borderwise, but continued on the site, and it was Citizens Advice NI have submitted an launched to the public as application to the EU INTERREG IVA www.borderpeople.info in Dublin in programme for funding to continue April 2008 (by television presenter Clare this service. Byrne) and in Derry/Londonderry in May 2008 (by Northern Ireland Deputy There appears to be an untapped First Minister Martin McGuinness MP market for information and advice

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 117 on cross-border mobility issues. The on the exact numbers of people moving number of ‘hits’ on the Border People across the Irish border. The currently website rose sharply to nearly 420,000 cited statistics of approximately 18,000 in May 2009 and achieved a continuing workers (9,000 in each direction), high level of 275,000-390,000 per 5,200 students and 4,000 migrants month thereafter. Pages accessed crossing the border to work or study also reached a peak in May 2009 at each year are estimates developed in nearly 69,000 and settled to a level of 2001 during the preparation of the North 33,000-46,000 after that. This sharp South Ministerial Council ‘Obstacles to increase in the website’s usage can be Mobility’ Study. This lack of an accurate, largely explained by the offline marketing in-depth understanding of cross-border campaign outlined above. This mobility within the island is considered marketing campaign will be continued by the User Group to be the ‘major up to the end of 2011. missing element in the overall picture’.

The second phase of the Border People The second User Group meeting on website (2009-2011) is currently being 14 December in Dundalk discussed developed by the Centre in partnership cross-border consumer issues. The with the North/South Ministerial Council speakers were the Chief Executive of Joint Secretariat and funded by the EU’s the NI Consumer Council, Antoinette INTERREG IVA programme as part of McKeown, the PR and Marketing the INICCO group of projects (see pages Manager of the European Consumer 120-121). New features allow a much Centre (Dublin), Caroline Curneen, and higher level of public feedback, and for Dundalk Town Centre Commercial the systematic analysis of that feedback. Manager, Andrew Mawhinney.

A User Group of cross-border Among the issues raised were the unfair mobility information providers and deal border region users are getting in users – including citizens advice public service provision, notably in health bureaux, government agencies, health services and public transport (including organisations, cross-border local the lack of integrated ticketing); the authority networks, the EURES cross- poor service cross-border workers border employment service, community get from banks (particularly the lack of groups, business groups and individual mortgage packages) and the exorbitant firms – met twice in 2009. The first of fees frequently charged for simple these, on 2 June in Armagh discussed cross-border transactions; the rising the accuracy and usability of cross- trend of cross-border online shopping border statistics, and was addressed by and the lack of awareness of consumer Steve McFeely of the Central Statistics rights in this area; and the hold large UK Office (RoI) and Fiona Johnston of the shops have on local shopping centres Northern Ireland Statistics and Research and the particular stranglehold of UK Agency (NISRA). The feedback report wholesalers. commented: The Border People website and its We still do not have any better statistics user groups are a clear example of

118 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 cross-border cooperation at its most The 41 ‘Notes’ so far have covered the pragmatic and sensible: a means of following issues: whether North-South making government departments, cooperation actually works to bring information and advice providers and about reconciliation between people the general public in both jurisdictions in the two jurisdictions; the inaccurate more knowledgeable about and thus reporting of North-South cooperation in effective in dealing with practical the media; the possible re-opening of obstacles to cross-border mobility. the Ulster Canal; the importance of EU Common difficulties faced by people funding to cross-border cooperation in moving across the border to live, work, Ireland; the need for Northern Ireland study or retire include knowing where to attract back its highly educated and to start when inquiring about specific skilled emigrants; how Ireland, North cross-border issues; the absence of and South, could play a distinctive role advisors in public offices who know in combating world hunger; hopes the two jurisdictions well; the need for after the March 2007 Northern Ireland information leaflets in ‘plain English’ for election; the cross-border role of cross-border workers; the unfamiliar teacher education; Rev Ian Paisley as a requirements of having to complete champion of North-South cooperation; self-assessment tax forms in the other the contribution of Norwegian human jurisdiction; a lack of knowledge about rights lawyer, Torkel Opsahl, to the how educational qualifications translate peace process; the need for civil society across the border; the absence of groups in both Irish jurisdictions to talk portable pensions, and the difficulties to one another; a possible high-speed of accessing information about social rail bridge between Northern Ireland welfare and health care entitlements. and Scotland; the row over families in Donegal sending their children to A NOTE FROM THE NEXT DOOR Derry schools; why higher education NEIGHBOURS students don’t cross the border to study any more; more about barriers to cross-border higher education; the resurrection of Clones; whether the Irish border region could become the best border region in Europe; how the Centre for Cross Border Studies is becoming involved in work in Africa; an upbeat message from the chairman of the Centre; reconciliation initiatives in Monaghan and Armagh; anti-racism Since September 2006 the Centre has and anti-sectarianism work in primary been sending an opinionated monthly schools in County Antrim and the e-column, A Note from the Next Door Southern border region; cross-border Neighbours, to a growing audience of cooperators saying ‘Yes’ to the Lisbon subscribers: nearly 7,000 at the last Treaty; cross-community gaelic games; count. These Notes have provoked the value of having both a united Ireland enthusiastic feedback and debate. and a United Kingdom at the same time;

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 119 statistics which show the commonalities THE INICCO PROJECTS between North and South; North-South cooperation during the recession; why Between 2009 and the end of 2011 the concept of an ‘island of Ireland’ the Centre is undertaking five major economy is still a valid one; the new research projects funded by ‘patriotism’ of cross-border shopping; the EU cross-border programme the work of a Monaghan priest in INTERREG IVA and managed by cross-border reconciliation; cross- the Special EU Programmes Body. border phone, insurance and banking These have been packaged under services; the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise the collective title: the Ireland/ train (twice); the cross-border activities Northern Ireland Cross-Border of an East Belfast Protestant community Cooperation Observatory (INICCO). worker; an appeal for an idealistic The five constituent projects are person to become the Centre’s deputy as follows: director; the Centre’s work in knitting the island’s relationships back together; the Orange marching season; the need for less emphasis on Irish unity and more on cross-border cooperation; the Fermanagh man with the cross-border knowledge in his head; the role of civil servants and EU officials in cross-border peacebuilding; some unsung heroes of cross-border cooperation in 2009, and the Armagh Rhymers group.

These columns have been reported in the Irish Times, Irish News, Derry Journal, Northern Standard (Monaghan), Scotsman, Glasgow Herald, Sunday Post (Scotland) and on RTE, BBC Speakers at the June 2009 Border People Scotland, Border Television and local User Group. From left to right: Pat Donaghy (North South Ministerial Council Joint radio stations in Ireland, Northern Secretariat), Fiona Johnston (NISRA), Steve Ireland, Scotland and northern England. MacFeely (CSO), Joe Shiels (CCBS). They also appear on the celebrated website of British-Irish and Northern Irish 1. BORDER PEOPLE CROSS- issues Slugger O’Toole BORDER MOBILITY (http://sluggerotoole.com) INFORMATION WEBSITE (PHASE TWO) The columns can also be accessed at www.crossborder.ie/home/ndn/ This is the second phase of the Border index.php People (www.borderpeople.info) information website, being developed in a continuing partnership with the

120 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 North South Ministerial Council Joint sister organisation, the International Secretariat. This project is led by the Centre for Local and Regional Centre for Cross Border Studies’ IT Development (ICLRD), it brings together manager, Joe Shiels, assisted by a new an alliance of planners, economic information officer, Annmarie O’Kane, development officers, local authority who started work in February 2009. (For officials, councillors, and community more information see the longer item on and business interests on both sides of Border People on pages 116-119.) the border to promote more systematic learning and exchange in planning. (For Phase Two will allow for a much more more information on CroSPlaN and systematic dissemination and marketing ICLRD see pages of information and public feedback on 137-144.) cross-border mobility issues, assisted by an active and enlarged User Group CroSPlaN’s three year programme drawn from a wide range of citizens consists of the following: advice, employment advice, local authority, business and community • Two applied research projects per organisations. Performance will be year reviewed against agreed targets for • One training programme per year for information content, along with regular cross-border region local councillors, statistical website reports to evaluate council officials and business leaders demand and usage. An annual survey (the first course, in Dundalk and will test whether the interests of users Newry, runs from November 2009 to are being matched and how well the May 2010). various website features are working. • One technical workshop per year • One annual conference (in 2010 held The Steering Group for this project is on 21-22 January in Enniskillen, Co drawn from the North South Ministerial Fermanagh, with the title ‘Preparing Council Joint Secretariat, the Centre for for Economic Recovery: Planning Cross Border Studies, the Department Ireland, North and South, out of of Finance and Personnel (NI), the Recession.’) Department of Social and Family Affairs (RoI), Citizens Advice Northern Ireland, The two 2009-10 research projects are: Citizens Information Board (RoI), and the EURES Cross-border Partnership. • The Implications of the Northern Ireland Review of Public 2. THE CROSS-BORDER SPATIAL Administration and new planning PLANNING AND TRAINING legislation in the Republic of NETWORK (CroSPlaN) Ireland for inter-jurisdictional spatial planning; This network was formally launched • Best practices in cross-border and at the Blackwater Learning Centre at inter-jurisdictional spatial planning Knockconan in north Monaghan on 25 and regional development in the EU September 2009. Led by the Centre’s and USA.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 121 The 2010-11 CroSPlaN research elsewhere in the EU and trying to identify projects will address the cross-border possible new areas for developing environmental implications of EU all-island health co-operation with a directives (on Habitat, Water Framework particular focus on hospital planning. and Groundwater) for cross-border There are many complex political and planning in Northern Ireland and the Irish policy barriers– such as payment for border region. It is intended that future treatment and the contrasting role of training programmes will also cover health insurance in the two jurisdictions these topics and their implications for – that the report will also take into local and regional planning. account.

The Steering Group for this project The project has two complementary brings together planners, planning strands: academics, cross-border cooperation specialists and cross-border local • Development of a prototype authority network representatives from modelling tool for hospital the Planning Service (NI), the Border planning on a border region and Region Authority (RoI), Leitrim County all-island basis (the Modelling Council, the National Institute of Strand) Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) • The role of community at NUI Maynooth, University of Ulster, involvement in planning hospital the Irish Central Border Area Network services in the border region (the (ICBAN), the Centre for Cross Border Participation Strand). Studies and the ICLRD. The primary output of this study, which 3. EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL will be completed in mid 2011, will be FOR CROSS-BORDER HOSPITAL a robust prototype modelling tool for SERVICES IN THE BORDER hospital planning based on patient REGION need, and disregarding, for research purposes, the jurisdictional boundaries. The overall aim of this project is to This tool will take into account a range ‘identify how cross-border hospital of variables such as clinical factors in services can provide mutual benefits selected specialisms; the distribution for the people of the border region’. of patients (potential need and Building on two recent CCBS reports – demand); the configuration of hospitals Removing the Barriers: an Initial Report in the cross-border region (potential on the Potential for Cross-Border Co- supply based on bed numbers and operation in Hospital Services in Ireland specialisms), and the transport network (2007) and Surveying the Sickbeds: (modelling of accessibility based on initial steps towards modelling all-island travel time). hospital accessibility (2008) – this more in-depth study concentrates specifically After a tendering process in autumn on the Irish border region, but is also 2009, the Centre selected the London drawing on comparable practice and Dublin-based consultancy firm

122 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Speakers at the January 2010 ICLRD/CroSPlaN conference: from left to right: (back) Hubert Kearns, Professor Rob Kitchin, Wesley Shannon, Professor John FitzGerald; (front) Holly St Clair, Charlotte Kahn and John Driscoll.

Horwath Bastow Charleton (HBC), model or one which covers every service which has extensive experience of health area, but rather to provide an indication service policy and planning, to carry of how the pilot methodology developed out the Modelling Strand of this project. might be applied to selected services. HBC will identify a series of options to look at the core ingredients for the The Participation Strand of the project modelling tool, and how it might be will be undertaken ‘in house’ by CCBS applied in practice in a selected number deputy director (research), Ruth Taillon, of clinical areas. The draft modelling who carried out a series of focus groups tool will be tested with real data from and interviews with hospital service the Northern Ireland and Republic of users and health service professionals Ireland hospital systems. Specifically, in winter-early spring 2010. Focus the research will examine the number, groups of local stakeholders were held size, composition and possible locations in Enniskillen, Omagh, Dundalk, Derry/ of the hospitals that would be required Londonderry, Letterkenny, Cavan, in the future if the planning of acute Monaghan, Castleblayney, Newry and services in the border region was on Dungannon. This study, which will be the basis of population needs rather completed in May 2010, will explore the than jurisdictional frontiers. The intention role (of lack of it) of local communities would not be to present a prescriptive in the planning of hospital services in

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 123 the Irish border region and factor these out by a high-level team comprising findings into recommendations for Dr John Bradley, formerly of the developing a more patient-centred Economic and Social Research Institute focus to this planning. It will also in Dublin; Professor Michael Best of consider how local communities the Universities of Cambridge and might have an input into cross-border Massachusetts; Ms Joanne McLaughlin; health planning in the future. Recent and two economists from the Wroclaw campaigns in Monaghan and Omagh Regional Development Agency in against the removal or relocation of Poland (the research is ‘twinned’ for hospital services have brought these comparative purposes with the Lower issues into particular focus. Silesia region of Poland and its common border with the German länder of The Steering Group for this project Saxony and Brandenburg). This project brings health and cross-border was initiated in December 2009 and will cooperation specialists together from be formally launched in spring 2010. the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, the Health Research Board (RoI), the The four constituent elements of this Health Service Executive (RoI)(observer), research project are: Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT), the Irish Patients Association, a. The specific challenges the the Patient Client Council (NI), the region faces due to its peripheral Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, location, with an exploration the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs of how it might become less (observer), the Centre for Cross Border peripheral through new business Studies and the University of Warwick. communication technologies, optimal use of supporting institutions 4. REVIVING THE BORDER REGION (including higher education ECONOMY IN A NEW ERA institutions) and the experience OF PEACE AND DEVOLVED of more advanced border regions GOVERNMENT elsewhere in Europe. This is the ‘framing’ piece of research for the The aim of this package of four closely overall research project. inter-related research projects is to find b. How border region retail and ways of understanding and increasing wholesale markets might be the accessibility, size, transparency, made more efficient drivers of competitiveness and profitability regional growth (and more robust of Irish border region markets in a in the face of currency changes) context where peace and normality after the present temporary have finally arrived in Northern Ireland imbalance caused by currency and the Southern Border Region, but distortions. have been followed by an international c. How the micro-enterprises (with economic recession. This overall project under 10 employees) which – in which the Centre is partnered by are the mainstay of so much InterTradeIreland – is being carried economic activity in the region

124 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 might be enabled to expand The Centre will develop this ‘toolkit’ by exploiting increased access to to guide policy-makers through the larger cross-border markets on process of planning and implementing a their doorstep (and to learn from major cross-border project. This would the experience of successful ‘niche’ consist of a number of stages: the producers in other parts of Ireland early stages of identifying and defining and Europe). the policy challenge; the identification d. How the region’s tourism of options; the consultation stage; the product (including ‘green’ final proposal, focussing on costs and tourism) might dovetail with benefits; the implementation stage; and strategic plans for tourism in the review stage, when actual costs and Ireland as a whole and how border benefits indicate whether the project is towns might learn from ‘good achieving its desired aims. This project performers’ elsewhere on the island will start in May 2010, and will be to bring more visitors to the region. assisted, on a consultancy basis, by Dr Joachim Beck, director of the Euro- The Steering Group for this project Institut in Kehl, Germany, and a leading brings together economists, industrial European expert on cross-border promotion practitioners and cross- cooperation and impact assessment. border cooperation specialists from InterTradeIreland, the Department of Enterprise,Trade and Investment (NI), CURRENT EXCHANGE PROJECTS Invest Northern Ireland, Forfás (RoI), Centre for Cross Border Studies and the North-South Student Teacher University of Ulster. Exchange Project (Year Six)

5. PILOT IMPACT ASSESSMENT In March 2010 the North-South Student TOOLKIT FOR CROSS-BORDER Teacher Exchange project will enter COOPERATION IN IRELAND its sixth year with the latest exchange of 19 students to do a key part of As part of the integrative work of a their assessed teaching practice in cross-border observatory, the Centre schools in the other Irish jurisdiction. will research the development of a The partners with the Centre in this pilot Impact Assessment Toolkit for project are the seven colleges of practical, mutually beneficial cross- primary education on the island: border cooperation in Ireland. Impact Stranmillis University College and St assessment is a continuous process to Mary’s University College in Belfast; St help the policy-maker fully think through Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Marino and understand the consequences of Institute of Education, Froebel College possible and actual interventions.It has of Education and Church of Ireland been used particularly in the health and College of Education in Dublin (Mary environmental sectors in Ireland, North Immaculate College in Limerick is not and South, but not until now in cross- taking part in the 2010 exchange). 142 border cooperation.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 125 student teachers have taken part in this dispositions it has helped to develop exchange project since it was initiated among the beneficiaries, the young in 2003. The first four exchanges were teachers. These have included: greater funded by the EU Peace Programme, interest in peace and reconciliation while the 2009 and 2010 exchanges issues; greater consciousness of the were funded by the Standing demands of multicultural classrooms; Conference on Teacher Education North greater knowledge of the other and South (SCoTENS)(see also pages jurisdiction’s education system and 135-137). curriculum; the invaluable experience gained from learning from skilled In October 2008 a study by Dr Maeve teachers in the other jurisdiction; and Martin of NUI Maynooth on the impact a greatly increased sense of personal of the exchange on the personal worth and confidence gained through attitudes and professional practice of participation in the exchange. the student teachers who had taken part in it between 2003 and 2007 was She called the project ‘a courageous, completed. Dr Martin concluded: inclusive and groundbreaking exchange’ and “an experience that has been This project has been a great success transformational” for the student in terms of the enduring positive teachers involved.

Student teachers at the North-South Student Teacher Exchange Project’s Orientation Day in Church of Ireland College, Rathmines, Dublin on 27 January 2010.

126 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Winners of the 2009-2010 Universities Ireland-IBEC/CBI Joint Business Council postgraduate scholarships at the awards ceremony in Belfast on 7 December 2009. From left to right (front): Bryan Mukandi, Deirdre McKenna, Anna Magee and Mairead Cantwell. From left to right (back): Reg McCabe, Chief Executive IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council; Professor Richard Barnett, Chairman, Universities Ireland; Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretary, NI Department for Employment and Learning; Brian Ambrose, Chairman, CBI Northern Ireland.

CURRENT ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITIES IRELAND PROJECTS

The Centre has filled an important niche by providing administrative support to North-South and cross-border initiatives, particularly in the field of education. Many cross-border projects are sustained largely through EU funding The Centre acts as the secretariat and the commitment of enthusiastic for Universities Ireland (UI), set up individuals, and when the money and in 2003 to promote co-operation enthusiasm runs out their absence and collaboration between the two of a proper administrative structure universities in Northern Ireland often dooms them to early closure. and the seven universities in the The Centre offers this cross-border Republic of Ireland. Its chairman for administrative structure, and a detailed the 2008-2010 period is Professor knowledge of support mechanisms in Richard Barnett, Vice-Chancellor both Irish jurisdictions, which can ensure of the University of Ulster. The such projects’ longer-term sustainability. members of the governing Council

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 127 of Universities network, meetings with Universities UK Ireland are the nine and addresses by international higher university presidents education specialists. and vice-chancellors plus representatives NORTH/SOUTH POSTGRADUATE of the three external SCHOLARSHIPS funders: Department of Education and In the academic Science (RoI), year 2009-2010 Department for four scholarships Employment and were awarded Learning (NI) and under this InterTradeIreland. scheme, which is a collaboration The North/South Postgraduate between Scholarship Scheme and the Irish- Universities African Partnership for Research Ireland and the Capacity Building, launched by Joint Business Universities Ireland in 2006 and Council of the Irish Business and 2007 respectively, have seen further Employers Confederation (IBEC) and progress this year. The Department the Confederation of British Industry for Employment and Learning Deputy (Northern Ireland). The scholarships Secretary, Andrew Hamilton (standing went to Mairead Cantwell, a graduate in for the Minister, Sir Reg Empey) of Trinity College Dublin doing an MSc presented four masters and PhD funding in Spatial Regeneration at Queen’s awards to students – two from the North University Belfast; Anna Magee, a and two from the South – at a ceremony graduate of University of Ulster doing an in Belfast in December 2009. MSc in Energy Management at Dublin Institute of Technology; Bryan Mukandi, The Irish-African Partnership for a graduate of University of Zimbabwe Research Capacity Building (now called and NUI Galway, doing a Masters in IAP for short) held successful workshops Political Philosophy at Queen’s University at Maputo in Mozambique (May 2009) Belfast; and Deirdre McKenna, a and Dublin City University (October graduate of Queen’s University Belfast 2009), and is planning a summer school doing a PhD in Architecture at University devoted to research training at Zomba College Dublin. The first two of these in Malawi at the end of March 2010 for scholarships were funded by RPS Group senior academics and research office and Dublin Port respectively, while the personnel from the 13 IAP partner latter two were funded by Universities universities in Ireland, North and South, Ireland alone. Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. Other UI activities have The fundamental requirement for included becoming the Ireland Section eligibility for this scheme is a willingness of the international Scholars at Risk by students to relocate to the other Irish

128 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Participants at the third Irish-African Partnership workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, 11-14 May 2009. jurisdiction for a whole year or the major incorporation of a three-month job part of a year in order to undertake a placement opportunity in sponsoring course of postgraduate study. companies, to be taken at the end of the funded postgraduate year. This Last year the smaller number of North/ will be coordinated by IBEC’s Export South scholarships on offer reflected Orientation Programme (EOP), the the sharp reduction in private sector Republic of Ireland’s longest-running and sponsorship caused by the economic most successful graduate placement recession. In 2010 Universities Ireland programme. and the Joint Business Council are hoping to make up to six awards, which THE IRISH-AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP will again be worth €15,000 (approx. FOR RESEARCH CAPACITY £13,500) each. Up to four of these BUILDING (IAP) will be in areas of interest to business (mainly the sciences – including environmental sciences – engineering, ICT and business administration) and will be co-sponsored by individual firms. Two will be in the humanities and the social sciences and will be funded by Universities Ireland alone. The deadline for applications is 17 May 2010. The Irish-African Partnership for Research Capacity Building (2008-2011) A new element this year will be the was put together by a small group of

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 129 people working out of the Centre for of Dublin City University, Professor Cross Border Studies, Trinity College Sean Farren of University of Ulster and Dublin and Dublin City University in Professor Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya 2007. It is largely funded by the Irish of Makerere University. The project Government under the Programme of manager, Peter McEvoy (replacing Dr Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid Niamh Gaynor, who resigned to take and Higher Education and Research up an academic position in September Institutes (2007-2011) – which has 2009) is based at Dublin City University. provided €1.5 million – with €110,000 Other IAP staff are Dr Eimear Barrrett, in matching funding from Universities a postdoctoral fellow in health based Ireland. The Irish Aid funding is managed at Queen’s University Belfast; Dr Mary by the Higher Education Authority Goretti Nakabugo, a postdoctoral fellow in Dublin. in education based at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick; The Irish-African Partnership for Yaoxue Lin, a web portal manager Research Capacity Building (IAP) brings based at TCD; and Caitriona Fitzgerald, together the nine universities on the a part-time administrative officer based island of Ireland along with Makerere at DCU. University in Uganda, University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Eduardo The Irish-African Partnership was Mondlane University in Maputo, launched by President Mary McAleese Mozambique, and the University on the opening day of the first IAP of Malawi in a unique, high-level workshop at Dublin City University on partnership to develop a coordinated 8-11 April 2008. The keynote speaker approach to Research Capacity Building was Professor Akilalagpa Sawyerr in higher education institutions in order from Ghana, Secretary General of the to make an effective contribution to the Association of African Universities, and reduction of poverty in those countries. an international authority on Research The IAP’s aims are: Capacity Building in African higher education institutions. Among those • to build the capacity for who also addressed the workshop were development research in Irish and the President of Dublin City University, Northern Irish universities; Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski; • to build capacity in health and the Vice-Chancellor of Makerere education research – with gender University, Professor Livingston Luboobi; and ICT as cross-cutting themes the Vice-Chancellor of the University – in the four participating African of Dar es Salaam, Professor Rwekaza universities; Mukandala; the Vice Chancellor of • in the longer term, to develop an University of Malawi, Professor Zimani Irish-African network of excellence in Kadzamira, and the Vice-Rector of development research. Eduardo Mondlane University, Professor Orlando Quilambo. The co-chairs of the IAP’s steering committee are Professor Ronnie Munck A second four-day workshop was

130 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 held in Entebbe summer school to focus on research in Uganda on training which will be held on 22-25 10-13 November March 2010 in Chancellor College of 2008. Once again the University of Malawi in Zomba, more than 70 Malawi. This will concentrate on six senior academics areas: research management, research participated from training, research infrastructure, research the participating funding, human resources and research universities. It bid writing. was addressed by, among others, the Vice-Chancellor The final, fifth IAP workshop will take of Makerere University, Professor place in Queen’s University Belfast Livingston Luboobi; the Director of on 29 September-1 October 2010. Research of the University of Dar Reports on the IAP’s five work packages es Salaam, Professor Saida Yahya- – stakeholder consultation, foresight, Othman; the Dean of Medicine of metrics, web portal and conclusions and Eduardo Mondlane University, Professor recommendations – will be presented Mamudo Ismail; the Dean of Science at at this culminating workshop. The final Chancellor College, University of Malawi, report of the whole IAP project will be Professor John Saka; the Provost of published in early 2011. Trinity College Dublin, Professor John Hegarty; and the former Tánaiste and The project’s revised objectives are: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dick Spring, chair of the IAP’s international • to promote research within the advisory board. partner universities in Ireland and Africa; A third four-day workshop was held • To develop understanding of the in Maputo in Mozambique on 11-14 complex issues involved in Research May 2009, again with more than 70 Capacity Building within the partner participants. It was addressed by, universities; among others, the Rector of Eduardo • To identify priority research needs Mondlane University in Maputo, Dr Filipe in the two core thematic areas of José Couto; the President of University health and education, highlighting College Cork, Dr Michael Murphy; and those which the IAP partners have the Irish ambassador and British High the capacity to meet; Commissioner to Mozambique, Frank • To make recommendations for Sheridan and Andrew Soper. practical strategies within the universities to tackle these issues; An extra, fourth workshop was • To develop a set of metrics by which held in Dublin City University on 8-9 research capacity building may be October 2009 for Vice Presidents and measured; Directors of Research in IAP partner • To develop a web portal which links universities. The main purpose of this Irish and African partners in a virtual event was to generate themes for a community and which provides a

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 131 vehicle for showcasing development Further research was carried out, research and information through a involving interviews with education digital repository. and health specialists beyond the universities, and aid agencies and The project’s activities and outputs regional health and higher education are as follows: bodies, between November 2008 and May 2009. In the latter 1. A stakeholder consultation month, health and education among the 13 participating research priorities identified by the institutions (and external agencies consultation were discussed at the such as relevant government Maputo workshop, and formed ministries and donor organisations) the basis for two inter-university using workshops, focus groups, ‘clusters’ of researchers in education structured interviews and and health. The final report of the e-consultation. The first phase of stakeholder consultation is due to be this exercise took place in summer- completed by March 2010. autumn 2008 and involved over 300 2. Five workshops (in Dublin, academics and researchers in the Entebbe, Maputo, Dublin and institutions. This was the first ever Belfast) to develop the network joint baseline study of development and specific partnerships, to plan research capacity in the Irish and the Malawi summer school and participating African universities. to identify priority areas in health,

The President of University College Cork, Dr Michael Murphy (centre), Professor Frank Kee of Queen’s University Belfast and Patricia McAllister of CCBS outside the Hotel Cardoso in Maputo, where the third workshop took place.

132 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 education, gender and ICT research responsibility of Trinity College through a ‘foresight’ exercise. Dublin. This consists of: 1. A 3. Foresight report identifying Research Register to enable the priority themes in health and individual researchers in the education research, with gender and participating Irish and African ICT as cross-cutting themes, over universities to post their own details, the next 10 years. The final draft interests and publications; 2. An report – Looking to the Future: the ‘open access’ Digital Repository for Irish-African Partnership Foresight publications, reports, grey literature, Report - is available on the IAP web data and theses. portal (see below). 4. Summer School, to take place in The Centre for Cross Border Studies/ Zomba, Malawi in March 2010 to Universities Ireland provides a number provide training in selected areas of of services to the IAP. Director Andy Research Capacity Building identified Pollak is the reporting officer to the through the stakeholder consultation, Higher Education Authority and Irish the fourth workshop and the Aid. Events Manager Patricia McAllister foresight exercise. is the workshop organiser, and Finance 5. Network development through Manager Mairead Hughes handles the online discussion forums, monthly IAP’s finances. meetings of the Executive Committee (on which representatives OTHER INITIATIVES of the 13 universities and the Centre for Cross Border Studies/Universities Scholars at Risk: Ireland Section. Ireland sit), annual meetings of the The Ireland Section of the New International Advisory Board (chaired York University-based Scholars at Risk by former Tánaiste and Minister of international network, which defends Foreign Affairs, Dick Spring) and and provides refuge and support for presentations at conferences and university scholars and academics seminars by staff and Steering under threat of persecution in their own Committee members. countries, was launched at a crowded 6. Metrics: developing a set of meeting in Trinity College Dublin on 22 metrics to measure the building of September 2009. Universities Ireland research capacity against a baseline manages the Ireland Section of SAR. assessment of research capacity in The meeting’s keynote speaker was the the 13 partner universities. Iranian lawyer, academic, human rights 7. Web Portal. There are two parts activist and 2003 Nobel Peace laureate, to the IAP web portal (www. Dr Shirin Ebadi. Taking advantage of irishafricanpartnership.ie); the two €10,000 bursaries provided for ‘front end’ which is the project this purpose by Universities Ireland, at website, which is managed by the time of writing University of Limerick Centre for Cross Border Studies was finalising arrangements to host a and the ‘back end’ which is the professor of psychology from Iran, portal’s major element, and is the while Trinity College Dublin and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 133 University College Dublin were jointly the presidents decided to invite top applying to host another academic international specialists on higher at risk. education to address their meeings on a regular basis. The first of these A series of meetings with was at the spring UI Council meeting Universities UK, the representative on 12 February 2010 in Dublin, which body of British universities, was initiated was addressed by the President of the in September 2004 in Dublin, with a University of Virginia and former chair of follow-up meeting in London in January the Association of American Universities, 2006, and a third meeting in Dublin Professor John T. Casteen III. in March 2008. At this latter meeting the presidents and vice-chancellors Universities Ireland is funded by an discussed matters of mutual interest annual levy paid by the nine universities, in the areas of business-university and by grants from the Department collaboration, university funding and of Education and Science in Dublin, research, and European developments. the Department for Employment and A fourth meeting is planned for autumn Learning in Belfast and InterTradeIreland 2010. in Newry.

Addresses by key international Website: www.universitiesireland.ie higher education specialists. At the autumn 2009 UI Council meeting,

Speakers at the 2009 SCoTENS conference – ‘Reflective Practice: Challenges for Teacher Education’. From left to right: Dr Tom Hesketh, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Sean Haughey TD, Professor Andrew Pollard and Professor Teresa O’Doherty.

134 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 STANDING CONFERENCE ON Mr Sean Haughey TD. The speaker on TEACHER EDUCATION, NORTH the first evening was the NI Minister AND SOUTH (SCoTENS) for Education, Ms Caitriona Ruane MLA. The keynote speakers were The Centre also acts as the Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of secretariat for the Standing the Economic and Social Research Conference on Teacher Education, Council’s Teacher and Learning North and South (SCoTENS). This Research Programme at the Institute of was set up in 2003 by a group Education in London (the UK’s largest of senior teacher education ever research investment in education, specialists from universities, involving over 700 researchers); colleges of education and other Professor Jean Murray, Professor of teacher education providers in both Education at University of East London; jurisdictions. The 2009-2010 joint and Professor Juhani Hytönen, Head of chairs of SCoTENS are Professor the Department of Applied Sciences of Teresa O’Doherty, Dean of Education Education, University of Helsinki. at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, and Dr Tom Three reports were launched at the Hesketh, Director of the Regional conference: School Leadership Policy Training Unit in Belfast. and Practice, North and South, the 2008 SCoTENS conference and annual SCoTENS now has 38 institutional report; Becoming a Teacher: Primary members including all the Colleges of Student Teachers as Learners and Education and university education Teachers of History, Geography and departments on the island; the Teaching Science: an all-Ireland study, by a Councils and curriculum councils (CCEA team of researchers from St Patrick’s and NCAA) in both jurisdictions; four College Drumcondra, Stranmillis teacher trade unions; nine education University College and other colleges centres in the Republic; the Regional of education (led by Fionnuala Waldron, Training Unit (Belfast); the Open Susan Pike, Richard Greenwood, University and the National College of Cliona M. Murphy, Geraldine O’Connor, Art and Design. Anne Dolan and Karen Kerr); and Professional Development for Post- SCoTENS’ seventh Primary SEN Teachers in Northern annual conference, Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, on ‘Reflective by a team of researchers from University Practice: Challenges College Dublin and Queen’s University for Teacher Belfast (led by Elizabeth O’Gorman, Education’, was Sheelagh Drudy, Eileen Winter, Ron held in October Smith and Mairin Barry). 2008 in Malahide, Co Dublin. It was Previous SCoTENS annual conferences opened by the were on ‘School Leadership Policy and Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Practice, North and South’ in 2008;

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 135 ‘Teaching in the Knowledge Society’ in teacher exchanges; student perceptions 2007; ‘Teacher Education and Schools: of history, geography and science; Together Towards Improvement’ school-based work in colleges of in 2006; ‘Teacher Education for education; the professional development Citizenship in Diverse Societies’ in of teachers working with students with 2005; ‘The Changing Contexts of special educational needs; examining Teacher Education, North and South’ assessment procedures for trainee (with a particular emphasis on Teaching teachers; universities’ role in continuing Councils) in 2004; and ‘Challenges to teacher professional development; Teacher Education and Research, North work-placed learning models in and South’ in 2003. post-compulsory teacher education; measuring the value of education SCoTENS has technologies; primary student teachers’ also provided seed mathematical identities; consulting pupils funding for North- on remediation of their specific literacy South and all-island difficulties; student teachers and the conferences on needs of pupils with autism spectrum social, scientific disorder; English as an additional and environmental language in undergraduate teacher education (six); initial education; inclusion and diversity in teacher education, post-primary education; the experiences citizenship and of primary teachers in teaching healthy diversity education eating guidelines; building North-South (two); educational research; special links in global justice education; primary educational needs (two); social justice school physical education; arts-based education in initial teacher education educational research; the digitisation of (two); language teacher education; Irish historical education documents; doctoral research in education (two); sixth year religion; peer mentoring in autism; dyslexia, literacy and inclusion; teacher education; spoken Irish in Irish- and the competences approach to medium schools; the ‘lift off’ literacy teacher professional development. programme for Irish medium schools; and good practice in the teaching of It has also provided pupils from ethnic minorities. seed funding for North-South A total of 51 North- research projects South research, on the social/ conference and national identity of exchange projects young children in have received the border region; financial support ICT in teacher from SCoTENS in education; children the period 2003- with profound and 2009. In February multiple learning difficulties; student 2010 another 11

136 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 were seed funded: a conference on Department of Education (Northern post-primary religious education; an Ireland). A significant proportion of investigation into bullying of children with its funding comes from institutional learning disabilities; mentoring in PE subscriptions from its member teacher education; realistic mathematics universities, colleges of education, other education (RME) in primary schools; higher education institutions, teaching an expanded conference on doctoral councils, education trade unions, research in education; collaborative art education centres, curriculum councils and design in citizenship education; and other bodies involved with teacher a Colleges of Education directors education. In 2006-2008 it also received of teaching practice CPD network; grant aid from the Nuffield Foundation. exploring Japanese research lessons for peer-to-peer profesional learning; a INTERNATIONAL CENTRE comparative study of further education FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL teaching North and South; a baseline DEVELOPMENT study of research capacity building in initial teacher education, North and South; and helping student teachers understand the problems of children subject to domestic abuse.

SCoTENS also sponsors the ground- breaking North-South Student Teacher Exchange, now in its sixth year, which The Centre administers the International brings student teachers from the island’s Centre for Local and Regional seven colleges of primary education to Development (ICLRD). The ICLRD is do a key part of their assessed teacher a North-South-US partnership which practice in the other jurisdiction (also see set up offices in Armagh in 2006 (after pages 125-126). a founding conference in Athlone in 2004) to explore and expand the The SCoTENS website (http://scotens. contribution that planning and the org) has been updated over the past development of physical, social and 18 months and highlights, in particular, economic infrastructures can make to resources on special education, improve the lives of people on the island citizenship education and teaching and of Ireland and elsewhere. The partner learning with digital video. Assistance institutions are: the National Institute with inputting content on special needs for Regional and Spatial Analysis education has been provided by Dr Noel (NIRSA) at the National University of Purdy (Stranmillis University College). Ireland, Maynooth; the School of the Built Environment at the University of SCoTENS is funded by annual grants Ulster; the Institute for International from the Irish Department of Education Urban Development in Cambridge, and Science, and the Department for Massachusetts; Athlone Institute of Employment and Learning and the Technology; and the Centre for Cross

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 137 Border Studies. Each partner brings research projects which contribute to an complementary expertise and networks understanding of the complex all-island on both a North-South and East-West and cross-border dynamics and drivers basis – creating a unique, all-island and of change in cities, towns and rural international centre. areas in Ireland. Since its inception, the ICLRD has organised its work around The ICLRD continues to expand its three spatial scales: EU and all-island; collaboration with other institutions and regional and cross-border; and local. has built close working relationships with individual faculty and researchers Much of the ICLRD’s work over the from Harvard University, Queen’s past year has been undertaken as University Belfast and Mary Immaculate part of the Cross-Border Spatial College, University of Limerick. It is Planning and Training Network open to involving other academic and (CroSPlaN), an EU INTERREG IVA- research institutions in its activities. funded programme administered by The director of the ICLRD is John the Special EU Programmes Body. Driscoll, who is also a vice-president Operated in association with the Centre of the Institute for International Urban for Cross Border Studies as part of the Development; its assistant directors are Ireland/Northern Ireland Cross-border Caroline Creamer of NUI Maynooth and Cooperation Observatory (INICCO), Dr Neale Blair of University of Ulster. CroSPlaN is a three-year programme of research, training and workshops The ICLRD in Northern Ireland and the Southern • Provides independent joined-up border counties (see pages 121-122 research and policy advice on cross- and below for further details). border and all-island spatial planning and local and regional development Other key funders and supporters of issues; the ICLRD’s programme of activities • Offers training and capacity building are the Irish Government through the programmes for communities Higher Education Authority (HEA), and local, regional and national the Northern Ireland Administration, government representatives and and the International Fund for Ireland. officials; In addition, InterTradeIreland works • Assists local authorities and closely with the ICLRD in linking spatial communities in translating policy into planning to the process of strengthening ‘on the ground’ action; economic competitiveness in cross- • Acts as a catalyst to bring relevant border cooperation. public and private actors, North and South, together to work on common ICLRD conferences and workshops goals; • Promotes international cooperation On 21-22 January 2010 the ICLRD/ and exchanges. CroSPlaN held a fifth annual conference in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh Each year the ICLRD undertakes applied under the title ‘Preparing for Economic

138 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Recovery: Planning of the Workspace Group; Professor Ireland, North Greg Lloyd, head of the Faculty of the and South, out Built Environment at the University of of Recession’. Ulster; Professor Rob Kitchin, head of Over 130 people the National Institute for Regional and attended this two- Spatial Analysis at NUI Maynooth, and day event which Professor Francois Vigier, President was sponsored of the Institute for International as part of the Urban Development in Cambridge, CroSPlaN initiative Massachusetts. by the EU INTERREG IVA programme through the Special EU Programmes In association with this conference, Body. The conference was opened by the ICLRD hosted a half-day technical SEUPB Chief Executive Pat Colgan, workshop on the theme ‘Evidence- with the keynote addresses being given Informed Planning: Making Information by Professor John FitzGerald of the Accessible to build Inter-Jurisdictional Economic and Social Research Institute Cooperation’. Attended by 40 people and Declan Kelly, the US Economic from both the public and private Envoy to Northern Ireland. Conference sectors in both jurisdictions with an presentations are available for download interest in evidence-based policy and at http://iclrd.org/web/2010- practice, this event was also organised conference/ under the auspices of CroSPlaN. Best practices from Boston, Massachusetts Other speakers included Charlotte Kahn, were presented to demonstrate Director of the Boston Indicators Project how the Boston Foundation and the at the Boston Foundation; Holly St. Clair, Metropolitan Area Planning Council Director of Data Services at the Boston- use data and outreach events to region Metropolitan Area Planning drive regional change. The workshop Council; Pat McArdle, former Ulster considered the role of spatial data and Bank Chief Economist and Irish Times of various technologies in (a) broadening economic commentator; Conor Skehan, participation in planning and public Head of Environment and Planning at policy, and (b) improving understanding Dublin Institute of Technology; Wesley of the impacts and trade-offs of Shannon, Director, Local Government development decisions. Policy Division, Department of the Environment (NI); Hubert Kearns, Rural Restructuring Sligo County Manager; Denis Rooney CBE, Chair of the International Fund On 8 May 2009 the ICLRD organised for Ireland; Patricia Potter, Director of a one-day conference on rural the Dublin Regional Authority; Celine restructuring and development in McHugh, Senior Policy Advisor with the Blackwater Learning Centre in Forfás; Martin Spollen, Strategic Advisor Knockconan, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan. with the Strategic Investment Board This event was organised as part (NI); Brian Murray, Chief Executive of an ICLRD research project on

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 139 rural restructuring, North and South. the rural communities of Emyvale- The conference brought together Truagh-Aughnacloy have been further 115 participants and speakers from exacerbated by its cross-border government departments, local location, 30 years of the Northern Ireland development agencies, local authorities, ‘Troubles’, and the impact of decades businesses and business networks, of back-to-back policy development community development groups, higher across both administrations (North education institutions, and planners. and South). The keynote speakers included Roger Turner of the Commission for Rural Following the launch of the report, the Communities (UK); Geoff Brown of research team was invited to present the the Carnegie UK Trust; Peter Quinn of study’s findings and recommendations Peter Quinn Consultancy Services; Dr. to the North South Ministerial Council Kevin Heanue of Teagasc; and Maura (NSMC) Sectoral Meeting on Agriculture Walsh of IRD Duhallow, Co Cork. and Rural Development at Greenmount Conference presentations are available College, Antrim, in July 2009. Four for download at http://iclrd.org/ Ministers were in attendance: from the web/2009/04/11/rural-restructuring- North, Michelle Gildernew MP MLA local-sustainable-solutions-to-a- and the Minister for the Environment, rural-challenge/ Edwin Poots MLA; and from the South, Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smyth The following month, on 19 June 2009, TD and Minister for Community, Rural the ICLRD report Rural Restructuring: and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv TD. Local Sustainable Solutions to the Rural Challenge, was launched in The research team comprised Caroline Draperstown, Co. Derry/Londonderry Creamer, NIRSA, National University of by NI Minister for Agriculture and Rural Ireland, Maynooth; Dr Karen Keaveney, Development, Michelle Gildernew MP Queens University Belfast; Dr Neale MLA. This research project explored Blair, University of Ulster; Dr Brendan the role of rural restructuring and O’Keeffe, Mary Immaculate College, economic diversification in both Irish University of Limerick; and John Driscoll, jurisdictions, together with the growing ICLRD and Institute for International importance of the urban-rural interface, Urban Development. in the achievement of balanced spatial development. The programme of Sustainable Communities research focused on three rural areas: the Draperstown-Magherafelt district in This research project, which at time of County Derry/Londonderry; Emyvale- writing is coming close to completion Truagh-Aughnacloy on the Monaghan- with the final drafting of the case studies Tyrone border; and Duhallow on the and a synthesis paper, investigates Cork-Kerry border. Both Draperstown initiatives in Northern Ireland and and Duhallow have been engaged in the Republic of Ireland to build and the process of rural restructuring for the improve subsidised housing in mixed past 25 years. The challenges facing communities through six case studies:

140 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Speakers and researchers at the launch of ‘Rural Restructuring: Local Sustainable Solutions to the Rural Challenge’. From left to right (back): Dr Neale Blair, Caroline Creamer, John Driscoll, Andy Pollak; (front) Dr Karen Keaveney, NI Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle Gildernew MP MLA, Dr Brendan O’Keefe.

Springfarm (Antrim), the Irish Street The research team comprises Paddy and Gobnascale interface (Derry/ Gray, School of the Built Environment, Londonderry) and Carran Crescent University of Ulster; Brendan Bartley, (Enniskillen) in Northern Ireland; and NIRSA, NUI Maynooth; Erick Guerra, Cranmore (Sligo), Mahon (Cork) and Institute for International Urban Adamstown (County Dublin) in the Development (IIUD), Cambridge, Republic of Ireland. Together, they Massachusetts; and John Driscoll, provide a cross section of the challenges ICLRD and IIUD. faced by communities working to provide mixed housing, and the Delineating Functional Territories strategies that have helped planners, housing providers and the communities In July 2009 the ICLRD, in cooperation themselves to create and maintain with the All-Island Research Observatory housing that is safe, prosperous and (AIRO) at NUI Maynooth, produced open to all. The study will be published an interim report on the Delineation of in spring 2010, with the case studies Functional Territories on the island of and associated papers being available Ireland. Those implementing both the to download at www.iclrd.org. The National Spatial Strategy for Ireland and Northern Ireland Housing Executive will the Regional Development Strategy for publish the three Northern case studies Northern Ireland are keenly aware of the in association with ICLRD. need to better understand the patterns

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 141 of urban functional specialisation and Immaculate College, University of urban functional regions. This study is Limerick; Professor Francois Vigier, helping policy-makers and practitioners Institute for International Urban involved in cross-border spatial planning Development (IIUD); and John Driscoll, to access compatible and high quality ICLRD and IIUD. data and thus better understand both all-island economic trends and Briefing paper series demand for cross-border services. As part of this initiative, innovative maps In November 2009 the ICLRD launched were developed to illustrate catchment its series of online briefing papers of areas for travel to work, delivery of short timely articles that explore how services, and access to infrastructure. various forms of planning, enacted at In an era of scarce public resources, different spatial scales, can contribute an understanding of such functional to better collaboration on the pressing inter-jurisdictional relationships can help issues facing both the Republic of target public investment in infrastructure Ireland and Northern Ireland. Articles and services. available to date include:

In July 2009 ICLRD held a ‘map feast’ • Good Planning: Key to Future with policy-makers and academics from Success by Professor Rob Kitchin, both jurisdictions, while in December NUI Maynooth and Professor Alastair the pioneering mapping generated Adair, University of Ulster (November through this work was presented to 2009); Walter Radermacher, Director-General • Linking Spatial Planning with Public of EUROSTAT, the statistical office Investment: Perspectives from the of the EU. In late 2009 the research island of Ireland by David Counsell, team turned their attention to mapping planner and Professor Greg Lloyd, population accessibility, house prices University of Ulster (December and cross-border travel patterns. Phase 2009). two of this project, whereby functional territories will be considered on an Future papers will consider the role all-island basis, is commencing in early of smaller ‘gateways’ in economic 2010, with the research team already development, spatial indicators, and the in consultation with policy-makers and mapping of strategic infrastructure and practitioners in Northern Ireland to key services on the island. discuss the datasets available and the potential use of any maps generated. CroSPlaN

The research team comprises Under the auspices of the Cross- Justin Gleeson, All-Ireland Research border Spatial Planning and training Observatory; Dr Declan Curran, Network (CroSPlaN), funded by the EU Professor Rob Kitchin, Brendan Bartley INTERREG IVA programme, the ICLRD and Proinnsias Breathnach, all NIRSA, is currently engaged in: NUI Maynooth; Des McCafferty, Mary

142 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 • Applied research on the border cooperation at both departmental implications of the Review of Public and council level; and the issue of Administration (NI) and new planning vertical and horizontal policy integration legislation in the Republic of on the island given the revised powers Ireland on inter-jurisdictional spatial of the councils in delivering centrally- planning; designed policies. Interviews and focus • Applied research on best practices groups with key stakeholders in the in cross-border and inter- RPA process, together with desk-based jurisdictional spatial planning and research, including a review of relevant regional development within the EU documents covering the history of the and the USA that can inform cross- RPA process, were undertaken during border cooperation in Ireland; the latter half of 2009. The resulting • A training programme for local report is being finalised at time of councillors, officials and business writing. This project is being carried out leaders in the Newry-Dundalk Twin by Caroline Creamer, Dr Neale Blair and City Region. John Driscoll of ICLRD with Dr Karen Keaveney of Queen’s University Belfast. The CroSPlaN network is also valuable in providing a regular link between Best practices in cross- planning policy-makers and practitioners border and inter-jurisdictional in Northern Ireland and the Irish border spatial planning and regional region, as well as raising awareness in development in the EU and USA Ireland of the good practice of other successful European networking An ICLRD research team has reviewed organisations in the spatial planning the considerable volume of recent field, such as Mission Opérationelle studies on EU projects with a particular Transfrontalière in France. focus on non-statutory mechanisms for cross-border spatial planning, and The implications of the Northern material on inter-jurisdictional planning Ireland Review of Public within the United States that is directly Administration (RPA) and new relevant to North-South cooperation and planning legislation in the cooperation between councils within Republic of Ireland on inter- Northern Ireland and Ireland. The team jurisdictional spatial planning is exploring effective local development processes at the level of the ‘micro- This applied research project considers region’ in Spain (particularly in rural the implications of governance reform areas); and good practices in shared in both jurisdictions on practical services and non-statutory planning in cross-border cooperation in spatial urban agglomerations such as the Lille- planning and regional development. Kortrijk-Tournai ‘Eurometropole’ cross- Key questions being addressed include border region on the French-Belgian the priority planning issues for the new border and the Boston Metropolitan ‘super councils’ in Northern Ireland; the area in Massachusetts (which includes implications, if any, of the RPA on cross- 101 independent cities and towns).

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 143 This research, which will conclude in 2010. The Centre is currently seeking May 2010, is being carried out by John high quality research papers on Driscoll of ICLRD, Professor Francois issues of spatial planning and regional Vigier and Jim Kostaras of the Institute development to include in this first issue for International Urban Development of the new journal. The subject matter of and Dr Brendan O’Keeffe of Mary articles can cover a range of areas such Immaculate College/ University of as spatial planning policy and practice, Limerick. balanced regional development, local government reform, planning for energy Training programme for local (including renewables), retail planning, councillors, officials and the rural-urban interface, community business leaders in the Newry- planning, planning for cross-border Dundalk region cooperation, and evidence-informed planning. In November 2009 the first training course for local councillors, officials Networks and outreach and business leaders in the Newry- Dundalk Twin City region under the Since its inception, the ICLRD has been CroSPlaN programme was initiated in developing linkages, both at home and Ravensdale, County Louth. Building abroad, with a range of community on the ICLRD’s research in 2008 into and government agencies. The ICLRD areas of potential collaboration in the is engaging with the European Spatial Twin-City Region, this programme takes Planning Observation Network (ESPON) the form of five three-hour modules through NUI Maynooth; the French on development along corridors, government’s cross-border cooperation evidence-informed planning, cross- and territorial planning agency, Mission border economic growth, community Opérationelle Transfrontalière (MOT), planning and stakeholder engagement. and the Irish-Scottish Forum on Spatial The programme is led by Dr Neale Blair Planning. It is actively involved on of the University of Ulster and John steering committees for the reviews Driscoll of the ICLRD and the Institute of (i) the Regional Development for International Urban Development. A Strategy (RDS) for Northern Ireland; second training course will be delivered (ii) the Regional Planning Guidelines in another cross-border region in late for the Border Regional Authority in 2010-early 2011. the Republic; and (iii) Village Design Statements with the Heritage Council The Journal of Spatial Planning on in the Republic, as well as the advisory the island of Ireland group for the Newry-Dundalk Twin-City Region. As part of its evolving publication strategy, the ICLRD will publish the NORTH/SOUTH ROUNDTABLE inaugural edition of The Journal of GROUP Spatial Planning on the island of Ireland (in collaboration with the Centre for Director Andy Pollak represented the Cross Border Studies) in autumn Centre for Cross Border Studies and

144 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 The final meeting of the North/South Roundtable Group in Áras an Uachtaráin, 23 February 2009: (from left to right) Aidan Gough, Tim O’Connor, Martin Fraser, Professor Roger Downer, Feargal McCormack, William Poole, Jackie Harrison, Stephen Kingon, Dr Martin McAleese, Laurence Crowley, John Travers, Liz Gilmartin, Brendan Butler, Liam Nellis, Caroline Moore, Michael D’Arcy, Andy Pollak

Universities Ireland on this influential They are: ‘think tank’, which ran from 2002 to 2009 and drew its members from • To contribute to peace and business leaders and senior civil reconciliation, human rights and servants in both Irish jurisdictions. justice through citizenship education The joint chairs were Stephen Kingon, • To enable young people to develop Chair of Invest Northern Ireland, and the understanding, attitudes and Laurence Crowley, former Governor of skills to be active citizens in relation the Bank of Ireland. The joint facilitators, to reconciliation, conflict and Michael D’Arcy and Liz Gilmartin, were controversial issues within their supported by InterTradeIreland. It held communities and society its final meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin on • To embed reconciliation as a key 23 February 2009. element within citizenship education.

EDUCATION FOR RECONCILIATION The project aims to achieve this through a cross-border programme of The Centre is a partner with the professional development for citizenship City of Dublin Vocational Education education teachers in second-level Committee’s Curriculum Development schools, and through the development Unit in the 2009-2011 phase of the of teaching and learning resources cross-border, cross-community on issues of local and global conflict, Education for Reconciliation project, conflict resolution, human rights and subtitled ‘Securing the Future through peace building. The project particularly Active Citizenship.’ The aims of this supports teachers to develop key skills EU PEACE III-funded project, which in such as critical thinking in relation to its successive phases has been working controversial issues such as conflict, with teachers in both jurisdictions since reconciliation and human rights. Over 80 1998, have remained consistent. schools have participated in Education

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 145 for Reconciliation since its inception. and the Garda Siochána. Both police services participated in its launch, which 42 teachers from 25 schools across coincided with the launch of the new Northern Ireland and the northern phase of Education for Reconciliation in part of the Republic of Ireland are Enniskillen in October 2009. involved in the current phase of the project. They are drawn from a wide There is still capacity to include range of school types (grammar and additional schools in this project, secondary – Protestant and Catholic especially those in Leitrim, Cavan and – and alternative education centres Monaghan, and controlled schools in the North; community, vocational in Northern Ireland. Further details and gaelscoileanna in the Republic) from Mary Gannon, Education for from Belfast; Newtownabbey and Reconciliation project, Curriculum Crumlin, Co Antrim; Ballynahinch and Development Unit, Captain’s Road, Dromore, Co Down; Keady, Co Armagh; Crumlin, Dublin 12 (Tel. 01-4535487; Strabane and Dungannon, Co Tyrone; email: [email protected]) Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh; Belturbet, Co Cavan; Arranmore Island, Bundoran, Carndonagh, Dungloe and Falcarragh, CURRENT TRAINING PROJECTS Co Donegal; Dunleer and Dundalk, Co Louth; Sligo Town, and North/South and Cross-Border Drumshambo, Co Leitrim. Public Sector Training Programme

The current phase was launched in Between May and September 2008 Enniskillen in October 2009 and will run the Centre – together with its partners, to the end of 2011. Lead teachers from Co-operation Ireland and the Chartered the participating schools have so far Institute of Public Finance and participated in professional development Accountancy (CIPFA), Northern Ireland’s at two residential sessions, as well as leading provider of training to the public meeting in smaller local cluster groups. sector – organised a fifth training course These sessions combine training in for civil and public servants working on areas of need or interest and provide North-South and cross-border issues opportunities to work together on in North/South bodies, government developing new ideas and activities for departments, local authorities and the classroom. other public agencies in the two Irish jurisdictions. The final course was Workshops on two new project over-subscribed: it enrolled 39 officials resources, Policing Matters and Log instead of the intended 30 (with seven onto Dialogue, are also being run for still turned away), and over 50% of citizenship education teams in both these were from central government currently and previously participating departments (compared to only 15% schools. Policing Matters, a cross- central government officials on the border resource on policing and the law, first two courses in 2005). The intake has received the support of the PSNI included senior officials such as the

146 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Chief Executive of NI-CO, the Deputy the Institute for Public Administration, Chief Fire Officer for Northern Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Director of the Northern Ireland Public Affairs Ireland and private training Centre for Trauma and Transformation, firms in Dublin and Dundalk; and in the the Deputy Secretary to the Irish North, the Northern Ireland Office, the President and senior inspectors in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries First Minister, the Department for and Food and Department of Education Employment and Learning, the Centre and Science. for Applied Learning (the Northern Ireland Civil Service’s training agency), In his foreword to a 2007 compilation of Queen’s University Belfast and University the best written assignments carried out of Ulster. Unfortunately none of these by North-South teams of trainees,The departments, agencies, institutions or Wind across the Border, the then companies were interested in partnering Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr and/or funding this very successful Dermot Ahern TD, said: “What these programme. Those most favourable young public servants are doing is to the programme, notably in Irish truly pioneering. Here is the pith and government departments, had seen their substance of what good government training budgets slashed by government is meant to be about. These essays all cutbacks. We have not yet given up on outline fresh new ideas, clearly laid out, this highly innovative programme, and about how practical cross-border and are continuing to seek funding to all-island cooperation can make a real sustain it. difference to improving the lives of the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland.” PAST RESEARCH PROJECTS Having generously funded five of these courses in 2005-2008, bringing to 145 The Centre has commissioned the number of public officials who had and published 17 cross-border taken them, the Special EU Programmes research projects in the fields of Body said it was now time to seek telecommunications developments, funding from other sources, particularly health services, disadvantage in the governments in Belfast and Dublin education, EU funding programmes, whose officials were benefitting directly local government links, mental health from them. In late 2008-early 2009 the promotion, waste management policies, Centre and its partners approached a local history societies, animal health, the wide range of government departments, euro, local sustainable development, public agencies and private training diversity in early years education, firms looking for support for continuing science and citizenship education, this training programme. Among those public sector training, hospital services, approached in the Republic were mental health research and government the Department of Finance’s training services to minority ethnic groups. agency, the Centre for Management and Organisational Development (CMOD), These projects involved researchers

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 147 drawn from 13 universities, colleges A study of the past, and independent research centres in present and potential Ireland and Britain: Queen’s University for future co-operation Belfast, University of Ulster, Dublin City in health services University, University College Dublin, across the Irish border National University of Ireland Galway, by a research team led National University of Ireland Maynooth, by Dr Jim Jamison, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, formerly director of the Stranmillis University College, the Health and Social Care Institute of Public Administration, Research Unit at Queen’s University Belfast City Hospital, Dundalk Institute Belfast, and including Professor Martin of Technology, the London School of McKee of the London School of Hygiene Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and and Tropical Medicine, Dr Ciaran O’Neill the Centre for Cross Border Studies of the University of Ulster, and Ms itself. The research assignments under Michelle Butler of the Institute of Public the North/South public sector training Administration in Dublin. project (see above) also involved civil and public servants from both Ireland’s Learning jurisdictions. Poor: Adult Educational The Centre has published the following Disadvantage research projects: and Cross-Border Co-operation (2001) The Evolution A study of the needs of Telecom of the more than a Technologies: million people on the Current Trends island who left school and Near-Future with few or no qualifications by Dr Implications (2001) Mark Morgan of St Patrick’s College, A number of Drumcondra, and Mr Paul McGill, case studies of formerly education correspondent of the developments in mobile and wireless Belfast Telegraph. They concluded that telephony across the Irish border from current policies in both jurisdictions were a research team led by two of Ireland’s far removed from a vision of lifelong leading specialists in information learning which allows people of all ages retrieval, data analysis and image and and social classes equal access to signal processing: Professor Fionn education and training. Murtagh, then of Queen’s University Belfast, and Dr John Keating of National Creating Living Institutions: University of Ireland Maynooth. The EU Cross-Border Co-operation after project was sponsored by eircom. the Good Friday Agreement (2001) A study by Professor Brigid Laffan Cross-Border Co-operation in and Dr Diane Payne of the Institute Health Services in Ireland (2001) for British-Irish Studies at University

148 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 College Dublin, Centre’s research manager, Dr Patricia which analysed the Clarke, with comments from the interaction between Departments of Agriculture in Belfast the North-South and Dublin. Issued exactly a year after Institutions set up the original outbreak in England, the under the Good report’s findings were praised by the two Friday Agreement – Ministers, Brid Rodgers and Joe Walsh, notably the North/ as “extremely valuable” in helping the South Ministerial Departments to formulate actions to Council and the Special EU Programmes deal with animal health emergencies. Body - and the EU’s funding programme for cross-border co-operation, Promoting Mental INTERREG. Health and Social Well-being: Cross- Cross-Border Border Opportunities Co-operation in and Challenges Local Government: (2002) Models of This is a two-part Management, study by a team from Development and National University Reconciliation of Ireland Galway (2001) led by Dr Margaret Barry and Ms A study by Professor Sharon Friel. It examined a number of Derek Birrell and cross-border projects in the areas of Amanda Hayes of the University of postnatal depression, public awareness Ulster of the different kinds of cross- of suicide, cancer support services, border links between local authorities, the mental health of young men and including one-to-one linkages, local mental health in rural communities. The government cross-border networks, study also looked at the comparability and cross-border partnerships involving and compatibility of mental health data other agencies. It also analysed the sources in the two jurisdictions. project management methods used, the views of the councillors involved and the The Local involvement of the European Union. History Project: Co-operating North The Foot-and- and South (2003) Mouth Disease This study, by Crisis and the Irish Dr Jacinta Prunty, Border (2002) Dr Raymond Gillespie A study of the cross- and Maeve Mulryan- border dimension Moloney of National of the 2001 foot- University of Ireland and-mouth disease Maynooth, provided the basis for the outbreak by the first all-Ireland register of local history

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 149 societies. They identified 330 societies, It was carried out by researchers at but estimated that a complete list would St Patrick’s College Drumcondra in exceed 500 societies, North and South, Dublin and Stranmillis University College involving an active membership of in Belfast, Mairin Kenny and Helen perhaps 28,000 persons. McLaughlin, under the direction of Philomena Donnelly and Louise Quinn. Towards a Green Isle? Local Citizenship Sustainable and Science: Development on The Connecting the Island of Ireland Axes (2005) (2004) The final report of the A study of local EU-funded Citizenship sustainable and Science Exchange development as (CaSE) Schools carried out (through project looked at how the Local Agenda 21 process) by a group of 12-14 local authorities and social partners year old students in 16 schools on throughout Ireland, by a cross-border both sides of the border deepened team comprising Geraint Ellis and Dr Bill their understanding of the dynamic Neill of the Queen’s University Belfast’s relationship between science and School of Environmental Planning, and citizenship. The students explored Dublin-based researchers Una Hand subjects such as air and water pollution, and Brian Motherway. It found that 54% waste management, GM and fair trade of local authorities on the island had foods, renewable energy and energy begun a process of LA21, but stressed efficiency. Much of the cross-border that the main challenge is to move from work centred on a shar ed Web resource. debate to action. This project was led by Professor Peter McKenna and Dr Charlotte Holland of Diversity in Early Dublin City University. Years Education North and South: Improving Implications for Government Service Teacher Education Delivery to Minority (2004) Ethnic Groups The aim of this EU- (2006). This study, funded study was to funded by the Office identify the difficulties of the First Minister facing teachers and and Deputy First Minister in Northern children in areas of inter-community Ireland (with additional funding from conflict and tension on both sides of the the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust Irish border with a view to developing a and the British Council), examined framework for preparing young teachers how public services such as health, working with children in the early years. education, policing and employment

150 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 support are provided to minority ethnic planning of hospital groups in Northern Ireland, Republic of servicereorganisation, Ireland and Scotland. It had a particular North and South. It focus on how Northern Ireland’s public noted that there are authorities could learn from their nearest different strategies in neighbours. The research work was the two jurisdictions, carried out by a partnership led by the with Northern Ireland National Consultative Committee on placing greater Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), emphasis on travel together with Piaras MacEinri from time and the Republic on the size University College Cork, the Institute of the catchment population. The for Conflict Research in Belfast and authors,independent Belfast researcher Organisation and Social Development Dr Jim Jamison and Dr Michelle Butler, Consultants in Edinburgh. Senior Lecturer in UCD’s School of Nursing Midwifery and Health Systems, The Wind Across point to the clear scope for joint the Border (2007). hospital planning and rationalisation in This report brought the border region to benefit the health of together six award the population. winning research assignments carried Mental Health: The out by pairs and Case for a Cross- teams of officials Jurisdictional as part of the Approach combining North/South and Policy and Research Cross-Border Public Sector Training Efforts on the Island Programme. They were on the proposed of Ireland (2009) reopening of the Ulster Canal; an This study by Dr all-island service for the recycling of Patricia Clarke of waste fridges and freezers; expanding CCBS explored the the CAWT-sponsored eMed renal context of and challenges to the reform information system to the whole island; of mental health services (and related an all-island visitor pass for heritage research) in Northern Ireland and sites; setting up a cross-border training Republic of Ireland. It compared the two and accreditation system for installers main mental health documents – the of renewable energy technologies; Bamford Review in the North and A and cross-border sharing of patient Vision for Change in the South – in order electronic records. to identify similarities and differences in policy approach in the two jurisdictions, Removing the Barriers: An Initial highlighting areas of common concern, Report on the Potential priorities for research and the gaps for Cross-Border Cooperation in which exist. This work was carried Hospital Services (2007) in association with the Mental Health This short report compared the Commission (RoI), Cooperation and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 151 Working Together (CAWT) and other by the Cooperation and Working agencies in the mental health field. Together (CAWT) cross-border network of health authorities (December 2008) COMMISSIONED STUDIES AND • An evaluation of the cross-border EVALUATIONS GP out-of-hours service for Cooperation and Working Together The Centre has carried out studies (July 2008) and evaluations for government and • A study of postgraduate flows from other public agencies and social the Republic of Ireland to Northern partner organisations. These have Ireland higher education institutions, included: for the Irish Department of Education and Science (January 2008) • A study of North-South cooperation • How the trade union movement in the education sector (pre- can become more involved school, primary, secondary) for and influential in North-South the Department of Education and cooperation, for the Northern Ireland Science and the Department of office of the Irish Congress of Trade Education Northern Ireland (2010- Unions (December 2007). 2011) • A review of policy recommendations • A review of cross-border consumer from the five research projects issues, employment issues and commissioned by the Higher railway links, as reflected in Border Education Authority under the 2004- People queries and User Group 2006 Cross-Border Programme for meetings, for the North South Research contributing to Peace and Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat Reconciliation: Intergenerational (December 2009-April 2010) transmission and ethno-national • A study of the numbers of people identity in the border area; Equality crossing the border on a daily/ and social inclusion; Mapping weekly basis and what they are Frontiers, Plotting Pathways; crossing the border to do (to E-consultation; and Virtual Research work, study, retire, access medical Centre for Point-of-Care Technology services etc), for the EURES Cross- (February 2007). border Partnership (February 2010) • An overview of the activities of the • A review of the 2008 study of Common Chapter of the Republic of postgraduate flows from the Ireland’s National Development Plan Republic of Ireland to Northern and Northern Ireland’s Structural Ireland for the Irish Department of Funds Plan for the Special EU Education and Science (December Programmes Body – in partnership 2009) with FPM Chartered Accountants • A study of mental health policy and (February 2007) research on the island of Ireland, • A report on public attitudes to the for the Mental Health Commission development of cross-border health (RoI) and other agencies, supported services, with particular reference to

152 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 The President of the University of Virginia, Professor John Casteen, addressed the spring Universities Ireland Council meeting on 12 February 2010: (from left to right) Professor James J Browne, President, National University of Ireland, Galway; Professor John Hegarty, Provost, Trinity College Dublin; Professor John Casteen; Dr Hugh Brady, President, University College Dublin.

GP out-of-hours services, for CAWT and Business Research Agenda (January 2007) for the island of Ireland’, for • A report on education and skills InterTradeIreland (2002) in the North West, for the Irish • A report on public feedback to the Department of Education and PricewaterhouseCoopers/Indecon Science and the Northern Ireland Obstacles to Mobility study, for the Department for Employment and North/South Ministerial Council Learning (2006) (2002) • An Evaluation of the Education for • A study into the feasibility of Reconciliation Project (Year One extending University for Industry/ and Two), for the City of Dublin learndirect to the Republic of Ireland, Vocational Education Committee for University for Industry (2001) (2003-2005) • An evaluation of the Co-operation • A Review of Cross-Border Mobility and Working Together (CAWT) Information Provisions in the South cross-border network of health of Ireland, for the North/South boards and trusts, for CAWT(2001) Mobility Information Group (2003) • A ‘scoping study’ of North-South • An Evaluation of the Upstate Theatre School, Youth and Teacher Company’s ‘Crossover’ cross- Exchanges, for the Department of border community drama project Education Northern Ireland and (2002-2004) the Department of Education and • ‘Towards a Strategic Economic Science (2001)

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 153 SEMINARS AND STUDY DAYS • Ageing • Border region history* The Centre holds regular seminars and • Border region regeneration* study days in Armagh, Dublin and in • Waste Management the border region to examine strategic • Economic co-operation* areas of interest to North-South policy- • Planning and mobility in the makers. These bring together groups north-west* of policy-makers, senior practitioners • Science and Citizenship and academics to discuss a research • Information provision paper prepared by the Centre under • Housing and sustainable the chairmanship of a distinguished communities authority in the field. As the Centre’s • Education and skills in the north- research programme has developed, west these seminars have moved from • Mental health research studying broad policy fields to examining • Personal banking more focussed areas which have been • Web 2.0 aspects of online cross- the subject of specific research projects border information and commissioned work. Cross-border • Cross-border statistics seminars and study days have been • Cross-border consumer issues organised in the following areas: * For the Mapping Frontiers, Plotting • Agriculture Pathways project • Education • Tourism • Information and Communication NORTH/SOUTH RESEARCH FORUM Technologies • Health Services The first meeting of the Centre’s • Mental Health Promotion North/South Research Forum took • Developments in Telecom place on 9 December 2009. This new Technologies initiative, which is funded by the EU • Local government links INTERREG IVA programme (managed • Foot and Mouth disease by the Special EU Programmes Body) • School, Youth and Teacher through the Ireland/Northern Ireland Exchanges Cross-Border Cooperation Observatory • European citizenship education (INICCO), aims to bring together • The euro researchers, policy-makers and funders • Business research interested in North-South and cross- • The North-South Consultative Forum border cooperation in Ireland every six

154 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 months to discuss a research and/or security and policing, business and the policy issue of current interest. economy, the environment, and culture and the arts. The topic of the first meeting in Dundalk was ‘What is the future for local and The Centre has also organised six cross-border economic development North-South conferences on aspects in the context of the global economic of higher education on behalf of the crisis?’ The keynote speakers were Department for Employment and Michael Smyth, Head of the School of Learning (Belfast) and the Department Economics, University of Ulster, and of Education and Science (Dublin). Celiine McHugh, a senior policy advisor The first of these, in October 2002 with Forfás, the Republic of Ireland’s in Armagh, was on ‘Ireland as a national policy advisory body for Centre of Excellence in Third Level enterprise and science. Education.’ This conference, which was attended by the presidents of seven of the nine universities on the island of CONFERENCES Ireland, was addressed by several world authorities on higher education. These The first major conference organised included Professor Malcolm Skilbeck, by the Centre, jointly with the Centre for the OECD’s former Deputy Director International Borders Research (CIBR), for Education; former US Secretary of was held at Queen’s University Belfast in Education, Richard Riley; the Director- autumn 2000 under the title ‘European General for Education and Culture in Cross Border Co-operation: the European Commission, Nikolaus Lessons for and from Ireland.’ This van der Pas, and the Chief Executive of international conference was opened the English Higher Education Funding by the Irish President, Mary McAleese, Council, Sir Howard Newby. and was addressed by a wide range of distinguished speakers, including In May 2003, the second conference the then First Minister of Northern was held in Cavan on ‘International Ireland, David Trimble and the Deputy Education: A Capacity Builder for First Minister, Seamus Mallon; the the Island of Ireland?’ The keynote then RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie speakers were Lindy Hyam, Chief Flanagan; the head of the EU’s cross- Executive of IDP Education Australia, border INTERREG programme, Esben a world leader in international education Poulsen; the international emergency and development services, and Neil communications expert, Professor Kemp, director of the Education UK Edward Johnson; Ambassador Division of the British Council. The Hermann von Richthofen of the German- conference was chaired by Sir Polish Governmental Commission; George Quigley. and the then SDLP leader John Hume. Participants came from 13 countries In November 2003, the third conference to discuss cross-border co-operation was held in Belfast on ‘Widening in five areas: administrative institutions, Access to Third Level Education

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 155 on the Island of former editor of the Ireland: Towards Financial Times and Better Policy and author of the seminal Practice’. The Lambert Review of keynote speakers University-Business were Dr Arnold Collaboration for the Mitchem, President British Government. of the Council The conference was for Opportunity opened by the Irish in Education in Washington DC, a Minister for Education and Science, champion of access to higher education Ms Mary Hanafin TD, and the Northern for low income and disabled Americans Ireland Minister for Employment and for 35 years, and Samuel Isaacs, Learning and Education, Ms Angela Executive Officer of the South African Smyth MP. Other speakers included the Qualifications Authority. Presidents of Queen’s University Belfast and NUI Maynooth, Professor Peter The fourth conference Gregson and Professor John Hughes, – entitled ‘Cross- and leading Irish entrepreneurs Dr Chris Border Higher Horn and Dr Hugh Cormican. Education Co- operation in Ireland The sixth conference and Europe’ – was was held in Malahide held in Cavan in May in March 2006 with 2004. This examined the title ‘What role for examples of good Higher Education practice in cross- in the Development border higher education elsewhere in of the 21st Century Europe, notably in the Oresund region Workplace?’ The of Denmark and southern Sweden keynote speakers (with keynote speaker Professor Linda were the Board Nielsen, Rector of the University of Chairman of the Intel Corporation, Dr Copenhagen), and the EUCOR network Craig Barrett; the Directors General of between French, German and Swiss the Confederation of British Industry universities in the Upper Rhine region. and the Irish Business and Employers The conference was co-chaired by Sir Confederation, Sir Digby Jones and Kenneth Bloomfield and Noel Dorr. Turlough O’Sullivan; the Education and Training Officer of the Irish Congress The fifth conference was held in of Trade Unions, Peter Rigney; the Belfast in June 2005 under the title Chief Executive of Forfás, Martin ‘Higher Education and Business: Cronin, and the President of Dublin Beyond Mutual Incomprehension’. City University, Professor Ferdinand The keynote speaker was Richard von Prondzynski. The conference was Lambert, member of the Bank of opened by the Secretary General of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, the Irish Department of Education and

156 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Astronomer Jay Tate and Professor Mark Bailey address participants at the 2009 ‘Discover the Stars at Armagh: the Second Cross-Border Schools Science Conference.’

Science, Brigid McManus, and the in Armagh. The event was funded Permanent Secretary of the Northern by the Northern Ireland Department Ireland Department for Employment and of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Learning, Dr Aideen McGinley. The event Irish Department of Education and was organised in collaboration with the Science, and was designed to attract IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council. students aged 13-14 towards science and scientific thinking at a critical stage In March 2007 the of their academic careers. A 32 page Centre joined with booklet, edited by Dr Miruna Popescu, Armagh Observatory was produced for the participating to organise schools by Observatory students ‘Discover the and staff. Stars at Armagh: a Cross-Border In June 2008 the Centre organised a Schools Science major conference in Dundalk entitled Conference.’ This ‘Cross-Border Cooperation as part brought together 260 students from of the Northern Irish Peace Process: secondary schools in Belfast, Armagh, Some Lessons for Europe’ which was Dublin, Dundalk, Drogheda, Dungannon, attended by over 130 people from 13 Kilkeel, Cookstown, Fermanagh, countries: Ireland, England, Scotland, Monaghan and Westmeath to engage France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, in two days of astronomical activities Netherlands, Italy, Serbia, Kosovo,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 157 China and the USA. there were structured educational The conference was activities around the Planetarium’s ‘Star opened by the Irish Show’ and the Observatory’s work on Minister for Justice, meteorites and the Human Orrery. The Dermot Ahern TD, conference celebrated 2009 as the and among the United Nations International Year of speakers were Astronomy. Stephen Kingon, Chairman, Invest Northern Ireland; Martin Guillermo PUBLICATIONS Ramirez, Secretary General of the Association of European Border In 2001 the Centre published, in Regions; Ronald Hall, Head of the association with Cork University Press, European Commission’s Northern a series of short books containing Ireland Task Force; Professor Elizabeth essays by leading writers on key issues Meehan, former Director of the Institute of interest to both Irish jurisdictions: of Governance at Queen’s University Belfast; Silvia Gobert-Keckeis of • Multi-Culturalism: Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière the View from the (MOT) in Paris; Linda Blom from the Two Irelands by Euregio Gronau-Enschede (Germany- Edna Longley and Netherlands); and Gorka Espiau Idoiaga, Declan Kiberd, Senior Advisor for Peacebuilding to the with a foreword Basque Government. This conference by President Mary was funded by the EU Peace Two McAleese programme. • Can the Celtic Tiger cross the On 29-30 April 2009, the Centre, Irish Border? by the Royal School Armagh, the John Bradley and Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Esmond Birnie, Planetarium came together to organise with a foreword by ‘Discover the Stars at Armagh: Peter Sutherland the Second Cross-Border Schools • Towards a Culture Science Conference’. Again this of Human Rights brought together 260 students from in Ireland by Ivana 16 secondary schools on both sides Bacik and Stephen of the border to learn about astronomy Livingstone, with a and related sciences and mathematics, foreword by Mary Robinson using the unique joint facilities of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. The keynote lecture on ‘The Science WHAT THEY SAY of Armageddon’ was given by the leading British astronomer, Jay Tate The Centre for Cross Border Studies of Spaceguard UK in Wales, and is an important catalyst for bringing

158 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 Left to right, Bruce Robinson, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Andy Pollak, and Mary Bunting, Northern Joint Secretary, North South Ministerial Council, at the Belfast launch of the 2009 ‘Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland’. people to work together across a range The Centre for Cross Border Studies and of social and economic issues and thus its researchers are to be congratulated find out what they have in common. The on their terrific record of achievement tragedy of the recent past on this island over the past 10 years. They have been is that we turned our backs on each at the forefront of policy research and other and did everything separately. The development on a cross-border basis value the Centre adds is to show how at a time of very significant change on much more we can achieve by working the island, providing leadership and together. The whole reconciliation energy and dynamism in this key area. project on the island of Ireland is about They have added to the knowledge people learning that they have so many base and brought together policy- interests in common. The Centre’s makers, academics and researchers research and development work is to seek practical solutions to issues of key to building that kind of practical, real relevance to people in Northern mutually beneficial cooperation and Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. One collaboration. example of this kind of relevant work, undertaken in close collaboration with The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD, the North South Ministerial Council, is March 2009 the development of the Border People

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 159 mobility information website. The cross- well appreciated as part of the overall border mobility issues on which this process. website provides information are a key priority for Ministers on both sides of Irish Minister for Education and Science, the border. Mary Hanafin TD, November 2007

I warmly and openly pay tribute to the What the Centre for Cross Border Centre’s work. Without their energy Studies is doing is really important. We and enthusiasm, the kind of practical hope that you will provide analytical and cross-border cooperation issues now research support to what we’re trying to considered part of the mainstream do in the British-Irish Intergovernmental certainly wouldn’t be considered as Conference, pushing forward a self-evidently important as they now are. significant North-South agenda on a When the Centre set out on its journey purely practical basis, and looking at 10 years ago they were not considered the concept of an all-island economy. self-evident at all. I particularly commend We need to maximise the benefits of the new series of INTERREG-funded this cross-border work, identifying what research projects on the border region will and will not succeed. This is not economy, cross-border spatial planning, an academic exercise – its practical health, impact assessment and mobility outcomes are almost limitless. In information which they are currently economic terms this is a pretty small embarking on. island which should be looking outwards towards the global economy rather than Head of the Northern Ireland Civil inwards. We need to be encouraging Service, Bruce Robinson, March 2009 cross-border cooperation to gain the maximum benefits for Northern Ireland I mean it quite genuinely when I say in that global context. This is very rich that we wouldn’t be able to work at and fruitful territory for the Centre to be the level that we are working at – at working in. ministerial or departmental level – if the ‘on the ground’ cross-border work Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, hadn’t been happening for the last Rt Hon Peter Hain MP, February 2007 few years. If the type of interactions, workshops, seminars, publications and The Centre for Cross Border Studies visiting speakers hadn’t been going on always takes a very fresh and innovative in frameworks like that of SCoTENS, approach, bringing together sources of the barriers wouldn’t have been energy on both sides of the border that broken down to the same degree. The used to be back to back but are now in contribution that SCoTENS, the Centre an extraordinary dialogue. for Cross Border Studies and Andy Pollak have made to the overall process President Mary McAleese, of peace and cooperation in this February 2005 country is probably not widely noticed, but it is certainly well-recognised and

160 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 I want to thank the Centre for Cross Border Studies and Andy Pollak for all their work in helping to bring about greater cross-border understanding in a number of key areas.

Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA, June 2009

The Centre for Cross Border Studies remains committed to pursuing its continuing successful work in developing practical, mutually beneficial approaches to cross- border cooperation in a wide range of areas. We particularly welcome the Centre’s commitment to dealing with obstacles to cross-border mobility. On behalf of the NSMC Joint Secretariat, the Centre operates the website www.borderpeople.info, which provides useful information for people who live, work or study in the other Centre for Cross Border Studies chairman, jurisdiction. The continuing rise in the Dr Chris Gibson, with staff outside Áras an Uachtaráin on 14 September 2009 number of people accessing the website is a measure of its relevance and usefulness. EVALUATION QUOTES

Andy Pollak and his colleagues in the by Brian Harvey (Brian Harvey Social Centre are an important resource for Research, Dublin) a number of cross-border bodies in the education sector, carry out high ‘Clients of the Centre appraised its work quality research designed to highlight as more than competent, demonstrating the practical benefits of cooperation in the highest levels of professionalism, specific areas, and assist in the training coupled with commitment and invariable of officials and others on issues of courtesy. Expert opinion likewise gave relevance to cross-border cooperation. a high assessment of the Centre’s performance, admiring its quality, output, We look forward to continuing our impact, relevance, value for money, cooperation with the Centre in 2010. working methods, expertise, vision, tact and diplomacy. North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretaries, Mary Bunting and Tom Comments were: “its projects are Hanney, February 2010 always very thorough”; “doing a great

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 161 job in challenging circumstances”; “the within tight timeframes and with a small director has an excellent grasp of what number of staff“. is necessary to move things along”; “nothing more important than north- One organisation, whose work south reconciliation”; “contributes a had been facilitated by the Centre, significant amount of information to the spoke enthusiastically of the Centre’s wider policy arena”; “does important commitment to arranging cross-border work and deserves more exposure”. contacts and promoting relationships between groups that had hitherto little The Centre was considered to be contact, making the comment that: professional, reliable and worked hard. “Once the relationship was established Its staff were “a pleasure to deal with”. and got going, the Centre walked quietly They did a “tremendous job”, provided away. It didn’t try to hog the limelight “good support and service”, “they do or build an empire but let them get on what they have to do – and more.” All with it”. the staff were good – “but that comes from the values set down from the director at the top”. They were “efficient, focussed, interested and believed in what they were doing”.

‘Several commented that the Centre went beyond what was expected, “treating the project pro-actively, bringing fresh energy and commitment, finding imaginative ways to work around problems”.

The Centre was admired and respected for its commitment, energy, political even-handedness and ability to open doors to people who might not otherwise be in contact with each other. It has oiled the wheels of co-operation better than anyone else could, bringing an ever wider range of people into co- operation – “not just border people, but as far south as Cork”.

‘All had a sense that the Centre had performed well on minimal staffing and resources. “It is transparent, managing an extensive programme, working

162 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF

Dr Chris Gibson (chair), chairman, Foyle Meats Group and Wilson’s Country Ltd; formerly pro-chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast; chair, Chartered Accountants Chris Gibson Regulatory Board

Dr Pauric Travers (vice-chair), president, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Dublin

Dr Jane Wilde, director, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland Pauric Travers Helen Johnston, senior social policy analyst, National Economic and Social Council, Dublin

Professor Liam O’Dowd, director of the Centre for International Borders Research and professor of sociology at Queen’s University Belfast

Mairéad Hughes Professor Ronaldo Munck, strategic theme leader for internationalisation, interculturalism and social development, Dublin City University

Colin Neilands, director, Workers’ Educational Association (Northern Ireland)

Professor Dermot Diamond, director, Science Ruth Taillon Foundation Ireland-funded ‘Adaptive Information Cluster’, National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University

Tony Kennedy, former chief executive, Co-operation Ireland, and member, Northern Ireland Community Relations Council

Colin Stutt, independent economic consultant, Belfast Andy Pollak

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 163 The director of the Centre is Andy Pollak, formerly religion and education correspondent of The Irish Times, and in the early 1990s coordinator of the Opsahl Commission.

The Centre’s deputy director (research) is Ruth Taillon, formerly research coordinator with Border Action (a partnership of Combat Poverty Agency and Pobal). Its IT manager is Joseph Shiels, a former software developer with Fujitsu and consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The Centre’s finance and administration manager isMairéad Hughes. The director’s PA and events manager is Patricia McAllister. The INICCO project administrator is Eimear Donnelly. The information officer isAnnmarie O’Kane. The company secretary is Margaret Connolly, head of accounting services at Queen’s University Belfast.

Patricia McAllister Joseph Shiels Eimear Donnelly Annmarie O’Kane

164 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 EXTRACTS FROM 2008-2009 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The opinion of the independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP:

• The financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, of the state of the charitable company’s affairs at 31 July 2009 and of its net incoming resources, including its income and expenditure for the year then ended; • and the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, and • the information given in the Directors’ Report is consistent with the financial statements.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2009

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2009 2008 £ £ £ £ Incoming resources

Activities for generating funds - 755,684 755,684 646,020 Other income 334,983 - 334,983 472,239

Total incoming resources 334,983 755,684 1,090,667 1,118,259

Resources expended

Direct charitable expenditure 311,064 688,698 999,762 866,944 Costs of generating funds 21,526 2,634 24,160 14,141

Total resources expended 332,590 691,332 1,023,922 881,085 Net movement in funds 2,393 64,352 66,745 237,174 Fund balance carried forward 104,389 370,768 475,157 237,983 at 1 August 2008 Fund balance carried forward 106,782 435,120 541,902 475,157 at 31 July 2009

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 165 All amounts above relate to continuing operations of the company.

The company has no recognised gains and losses other than those included in the results above and therefore no separate statement of total recognised gains and losses has been presented.

There is no difference between the net movement in funds for the period stated above and its historical cost equivalent.

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 JULY 2009

2009 2008 £ £ Current assets Debtors 730,523 629,352 Cash at bank 200 730,523 629,552 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (188,621) (154,395) Net current assets 541,902 475,157

Funds Unrestricted 106,782 104,389 Restricted 435,120 370,786 Total funds 541,902 475,157

Unrestricted funds are amounts which are expendable at the discretion of the Board in furtherance of the aims of the company.

Restricted funds are amounts which are expendable only in accordance with the specified wishes of the sponsor. The restricted funds consist of grants and awards for specific projects or administrative functions carried out by the company.

166 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 CONTACT DETAILS

MAIN OFFICE

The Centre for Cross Border Studies 39 Abbey Street Armagh BT61 7EB Northern Ireland

Tel: (028) 3751 1550 Fax: (028) 3751 1721 (048 from the Republic of Ireland; 00 44 28 for international calls)

DUBLIN OFFICE

The Centre for Cross Border Studies Room QG11 Business School Dublin City University Dublin 9 Ireland

Tel: (01) 7008477 Fax: (01) 7008478 (00353-1 from Northern Ireland)

E-mail addresses: [email protected] Andy Pollak [email protected] Mairéad Hughes [email protected] Ruth Taillon [email protected] Joseph Shiels [email protected] Patricia McAllister [email protected] Eimear Donnelly [email protected] Annmarie O’Kane

Websites: www.crossborder.ie www.borderireland.info www.borderpeople.info

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5 167 This Journal was designed by

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Tel: 028 9022 4455 Email: [email protected] Web: www.l-s-d.com

168 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.5