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Dedicated to Sir George Quigley (1929-2013), including an interview with him on North-South cooperation THE JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND

No. 8 Spring 2013

Cover illustration and illustration on page 129: Paintings by John B. Vallely

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.8 1 This memorial issue is dedicated to the life and work of Sir George Quigley, who died on 3 March 2013

Editor: Andy Pollak Picture research: Patricia McAllister

ISBN: 978-1-906444-39-6 The staff of the Centre for Cross Border Studies: From left to right (front row): Andy Pollak, Ruth Taillon, Mairead Hughes; (back row) Eimear Donnelly, Patricia McAllister, CarolAnne Murphy, Annmarie O'Kane, Caroline Creamer (Deputy Director, International Centre for Local and Regional Development), John Driscoll (Director, ICLRD)

CONTENTS

A Word from the Chair 05 Helen Johnston

North-South Cooperation in 2013: towards an ever 15 closer working partnership Interview with Sir George Quigley

Beyond the Belfast Agreement: economic relations 29 within these islands John Bradley

Impact Assessment: developing an innovative methodology 43 to support cross-border cooperation Ruth Taillon

Creating a future path for Archaeology in Ireland, North and South 59 Gabriel Cooney

The Newry-Dundalk ‘twin city’ region: 10 recommendations 71 for further action Pat McArdle

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 3 Galicia and North Portugal: from cross-border suspicion 89 to Euroregional cooperation Celso Cancela Outeda

North-South cooperation between Civil Society bodies: 103 still disappointingly under-developed Andy Pollak

Index of Journal articles, 2006-2013 125

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR CROSS BORDER STUDIES 129

INICCO-2 projects 139

INICCO-1 projects 144

Universities Ireland 150

SCoTENS 154

International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) 160

Past research projects 183

Conferences 193

Transfrontier Euro-Institut Network (TEIN) 197

What they say 201

Evaluation quotes 204

Extracts from the Centre’s 2011-2012 Financial Statements 209

Contact details 211

The views expressed in this journal are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Special EU Programmes Body or the European Commission.

4 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 A WORD FROM THE CHAIR

Helen Johnston

It is my pleasure to write the foreword for the eighth Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland. The Centre for Cross Border Studies celebrated its 13th birthday in 2012, which was a year of transition. As documented in detail below, the Centre successfully completed five major projects in 2009-2012 with EU INTERREG Helen Johnston funding. At a number of levels – local, national, and European – these projects have made an important contribution to cross-border working.

At national level in both Ireland and the 2013, building on existing partnerships United Kingdom, attention continues and forging new ones. An exciting to be focused on addressing severe development is the increasing role of economic issues. A significant cross- the Centre for Cross Border Studies border development was the signing in European cross-border working, of the Joint Statement on British Irish signifying the high standing the Centre Relations – the Next Decade by Prime has gained in other parts of the EU. Minister David Cameron and Taoiseach Enda Kenny in March 2012. This notable Early 2013 also signals the impending statement built on the success of retirement of the Centre’s founding strengthened relationships between the Director, Andy Pollak. Andy’s name two countries in recent years and set has been synonymous with the work out a commitment to improved co- of the Centre for more than 13 years, operation across a range of areas over where his passion for and commitment the next decade. to cross-border working as part of the peace process in Northern Ireland has The Centre for Cross Border Studies raised the profile of the Centre to the continues to support greater important position it holds today. understanding and co-operation through its research, training, networking, impact In preparation for Andy’s retirement a assessment and information provision recruitment process was initiated in late activities. As detailed below, the Centre 2012. After a full public advertisement, has successfully applied for further EU shortlisting and interview process, I INTERREG IVA funding for the period am pleased to announce that Deputy 2013-2015. The eight projects under Director Ruth Taillon was appointed this round of funding began in February Director designate, to take up the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 5 Director’s post in July 2013 on Andy’s projects under this round of funding retirement. Ruth brings a wealth of – the border region economy and cross-border working, research and cross-border hospital services research management experience to the job projects, the impact assessment toolkit, and I am confident that the Centre will the second phase of Border People, continue to thrive under her astute and three spatial planning research, tutelage. information and training projects led by the International Centre for Local and On the work programme front, 2012 Regional Development (ICLRD) – were was a year dominated by an application completed before this deadline. for renewed funding for 2013-2015 from the EU INTERREG IVA programme. This An evaluation of INICCO-1 by Indecon application was led and coordinated by Economic Consultants, completed in Ruth Taillon, and was named INICCO-2 April 2012, concluded that the Centre (as a follow up to the 2009-2012 had exceeded its target of 14 evidence- 'basket' of projects which was called based solutions to problems of public the Ireland/Northern Ireland Cross- sector cross-border cooperation by border Cooperation Observatory, or 100% (28 initiatives completed). It said INICCO-1). An initial application – with its stakeholders had ‘a high regard for a revised application form based by the the Centre and its work’ and saw it as Special EU Programmes Body largely ‘a small and flexible organisation which on a format adapted from the Centre's “punches above its weight” in terms of Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross its activities and reach, both nationally Border Cooperation – was delivered and internationally’. (see also page 204) in mid-February 2012. The Centre's application was one of 14 shortlisted In the March-May period the Centre (out of over 90 submitted). worked hard to prepare a 200 page business plan as phase two of the The Centre's INTERREG funding for application. The Centre's staff worked the 2009-2012 period (INICCO-1) as a team on this with advice from expired on 31st March 2012. All five former PricewaterhouseCoopers chief

6 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 economist Philip McDonagh. The shared services in the border region; business plan was delivered on 11th a follow-up training and animation May. The amount of funding applied programme for border region councillors for was £901,000 for 24 months from and officials, and developing evidence- February 2013. based planning through an updated all-island digital atlas and an all-island The INICCO-2 application consisted deprivation index; new toolkits for the of a package of nine sub-projects: a evaluation and budgeting of cross- research project, 'Towards a Border border projects; and a series of seminars Development Zone', building on one of on Europe 2020. the recommendations of the Centre's 2009-2012 study Cross-border In September an economic appraisal of Economic Renewal: Rethinking Regional the business plan was carried out by a Policy in Ireland (with InterTradeIreland firm of Belfast management consultants as a partner); a phase 3 for Border who requested that a slimmed down, People, focusing on training existing reduced cost package of proposals citizens advice providers in the two should be submitted to the SEUPB. This jurisdictions in cross-border information was costed at £810,000. provision (with the North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat, In the event, when the final decision was Citizens Advice Bureaux NI and the made by the SEUPB in late November, Citizens Information Board [Ireland] as eight of the Centre’s nine proposals partners); a project to map acute health were approved for funding, worth a specialities in Ireland, north and south total of £878,400. Only the Europe (with Cooperation and Working Together 2020 seminars were excluded. At - CAWT); further development of and time of writing – in late February 2013 training in the Impact Assessment Toolkit – partnership agreements are being for Cross-border Cooperation; three finalised and INICCO-2 is beginning projects led by the International Centre its work. for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) on researching local authority During the year from April 2012 the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 7 Centre's other non-INTERREG funded the NI Assembly's Enterprise Trade and activities continued. In mid-June it Investment committee. published Delivering a Prosperity Process: Opportunities in North/ The seventh edition of The Journal of South Public Service Provision, by Cross Border Studies in Ireland was Dublin business consultant Michael launched in Dublin in late March 2012 D'Arcy. This study, based on 'off the by the Secretary General to the Irish record' conversations with senior civil Government, Martin Fraser. Mr Fraser servants and business leaders in both said it was ‘an honour and privilege to jurisdictions, and funded by the Irish be able to support the valuable work of Department of Foreign Affairs, identified the Centre for Cross Border Studies’. a number of North/South public service Quoting the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, cooperation initiatives which could on North-South cooperation as a ‘quiet deliver positive results for the people of success story’, he stressed his belief the island. These included a joint plan that ‘the future will involve more, not to support economic and employment less, such quiet work in an all-island opportunities targeted in particular context. So this North-South dimension at marginalised communities; moves remains really crucial: we have to strive towards an all-island Single Energy to keep it going as much as we can.’ Market (to take advantage of renewable wind, wave and biomass energy); The final report of the 2009-2012 border cooperation on the provision of 'treated' region economy project, Cross-Border public water; an all-island tourism Economic Renewal: Rethinking Regional infrastructure project; and the provision Policy in Ireland (by Dr John Bradley and of an 'operational toolbox' for civil and Professor Michael Best) was launched public service managers working on a on the same occasion. North-South basis. Michael D’Arcy was asked to present his findings to both Six Universities Ireland (UI) scholarships the Oireachtas Implementation of the and bursaries were presented this year: Good Friday Agreement Committee and four under the ESB-UI North/South

8 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Director Andy Pollak and Deputy Director Ruth Taillon with Dr Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, at the John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh on 23 July 2012

Postgraduate Scholarship scheme and teacher education sector on the island. two under a new scheme to encourage Its 10th annual conference in October PhD students to undertake research into was the best attended yet, with 140 the 1912-1923 period in Irish history. people gathering in Cavan to hear The latter scheme was part of a new speakers such as the internationally initiative by prominent historians from eminent expert on creativity, Sir Ken the history departments in the island’s Robinson (on video from the US) and 10 universities (including the Open Sacha Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, University) entitled 'Reflecting on a founder of the Pushkin Prizes. An 'away Decade of War and Revolution in Ireland day' in September heard Professor 1912-1923'. The initiative was launched John Furlong of Oxford University, at a major conference in Dublin on 23 the lead author of SCoTENS' 2003- June (attended by over 320 people) 2011 evaluation, call the network 'an on 'Historians and Public History', with incredible achievement.' Eight more a keynote address by Professor Jay North-South research and conference Winter from Yale University, one of the projects were seed-funded in 2012- United States' most eminent historians 2013 and another eight in 2013-2014, and an international authority on the bringing the total number funded since First World War and its impact on the 2003 to 86. Professor Linda Clarke, 20th century. Head of the School of Education at University of Ulster and Tomás Ó Ruairc, The Standing Conference on Teacher Director of the Teaching Council in Education North and South (SCoTENS) Ireland, were appointed the new co- continued to have a high profile in the chairs for a two-year term.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 9 Andy Pollak and Ruth Taillon accepted (TEIN), of which the Centre is a founding numerous speaking engagements at member, was awarded a second home and abroad during this period, phase of funding from the EU Leonardo with a noticeable increase in the Programme to develop and adapt an number of overseas invitations. Andy innovative tool for intercultural cross- spoke at the Monaghan Bizcamp and border project management (originally Monaghan County Council; the North developed by the Euro-Institut in Kehl East Peace III Partnership (Coleraine); for the Franco-German border region) the Rural Development Network annual for use in five European cross-border conference (Raphoe); the Brussels EU regions during the 2012-2014 period. Open Days, speaking about labour The Centre will adapt the tool to the mobility across the Irish border at the Irish border region and provide technical invitation of East Border Region; the support for the TEIN website. Council of Europe's World Forum on Democracy in Strasbourg; an EU- The final event in Phase 1 of TEIN supported conference in Jerusalem (2010-2012) took place Brussels in entitled 'Cross-border Cooperation - July 2012 when the Centre joined Lessons from Europe and a Strategic the Association of European Border Recipe for Jerusalem?'; the University Regions, Mission Opérationelle of Strasbourg, speaking about Irish- Transfrontalière (MOT - the French British relations 1998-2013; the Catholic government's cross-border cooperation Institute of the Mediterranean agency) and other TEIN partners to in Marseille and a British Academy run a symposium entitled 'The Future 'round table' in London. of European Territorial Cooperation: Capacity Building in Cross-border Ruth spoke at the ESF Learning Territories,' which was addressed by Networks coordination meeting and senior European Commission officials an ageing conference in Belfast and and MEPs. TEIN Phase 1 received a the NE Peace Partnership launch glowing evaluation from the Leonardo in Ballymena. She addressed the UK national agency. Association of European Border Regions annual conference in Berlin In July 2012 the Centre was honoured and a Mission Opérationelle Territorial when former President of Ireland, Dr conference ('Territorial Cooperation Mary Robinson, delivered the annual fostering European Integration') in La Centre for Cross Border Studies Talk Coruna in Spain. She also delivered at the 25th John Hewitt International three workshops in Belfast, Monaghan Summer School in Armagh. She spoke and Glasgow on the methodology of the on memory, truth and reconciliation in Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross- Northern Ireland and other post-conflict border Cooperation for applicants to the situations around the world. INTERREG IVA programme (2013-2015). On 1 Febuary 2013 Andy Pollak and Ruth Taillon were involved in the launch The Transfrontier Euro-Institut Network of a new initiative led by activists

10 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 in peacebuilding, peace research, 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement cross-community and cross-border and how we might learn from those organisations in Northern Ireland and experiences to do better in the future. It Ireland. This group calls itself ‘15 Years plans to hold events in Derry in May and On’ and is drawn from Cooperation in Dublin in October. Ireland, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, INCORE at University To return to the theme of transition, of Ulster, the Corrymeela and Glencree 2012 also saw a number of changes Communities, Institute for British-Irish at board level. We said goodbye to the Studies at UCD, Institute for Conflict longstanding Vice-Chair Pauric Travers, Research, ICLRD and CCBS. It has who has been font of knowledge, good set up a blog page (http://15yearson. advice and support to both Board and wordpress.com) to facilitate an online staff. Also departing were Liam O’Dowd discussion on the successes and (a founding board member back in failures of the 15 year period since the 1999), Jane Wilde and Ronaldo Munck

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JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 11 who have judiciously and enthusiastically INTERREG IVA and we particularly contributed to the governance and work acknowledge the support, advice and of the Centre for many years. encouragement of the officials of the Special EU Programmes Body. We must We welcome to the Board the former also single out for special thanks the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Irish Department of Education and Skills Sir Bruce Robinson; the President of for its continuing financial support in very St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Daire difficult times. Keogh; Queen’s University Belfast sociologist Katy Hayward, and Dublin Financial and other support for the City University External and Strategic Centre’s associated organisations Affairs Director Ciaran O’Cuinn. They – Universities Ireland, the Standing join existing members Colin Stutt, Ann Conference on Teacher Education McGeeney, Tony Kennedy and North and South (SCoTENS) and Colin Neilands. the International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) On behalf of the Board, I pay tribute to – has again come from the Northern Andy and his hard-working staff for their Ireland Department for Employment unstinting work. In a year of transition and Learning, the NI Department and uncertainty, Andy, Ruth, Mairead of Education, the Irish Department Hughes, Patricia McAllister, Annemarie of Education and Skills, the Higher O’Kane, Eimear Donnelly and Joseph Education Authority, the NI Department Shiels continued to produce a wide for Regional Development, the Irish range of quality outputs on cross-border Department of the Environment, cooperation as outlined above, as well Community and Local Government, and as securing funding for the Centre for the International Fund for Ireland. the next two years. During the year we said good-bye to Joseph, the Centre’s We would also like to express IT manager, and wish him well in his our gratitude to the various other new role, and in February 2013 we organisations which have partnered welcomed his successor, CarolAnne the Centre over the past 12 months: Murphy, as IT and administration officer. notably the North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat, with special We look forward to 2013 with thanks to Northern Joint Secretary considerable optimism, as the Centre Colm Shannon, Southern Joint takes on new projects and new Secretary Shane O'Neill and his deputy challenges in its mission to inform cross- Margaret Stanley; outgoing Northern border working on the island of Ireland Joint Secretary Mary Bunting, who and further afield. was a good friend to the Centre; the Department of the Taoiseach; the nine As usual we have to thank a long list universities, with particular thanks of financial supporters, partners and to the current Universities Ireland advertisers. The INICCO-2 programme chairman, Professor Michael Murphy, of work will once again be funded by President of University College Cork;

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• Newry • Belfast • DuNgaNNoN • DuNDalk www. fpmca.com the nine colleges of education and Driscoll (who is also Vice-President 28 other institutional subscribers to of the Institute for International Urban SCoTENS, and both the outgoing Development) and Deputy Director, SCoTENS co-chairs, Dr Tom Hesketh, Caroline Creamer of NUI Maynooth. Director of the Regional Training Unit in Belfast, and Professor Teresa Again we have to thank our advertisers, O’Doherty of Mary Immaculate College, many of them cross-border bodies Limerick, and their autumn 2012 or companies themselves, who have successors, Professor Linda Clarke faithfully supported this Journal in of the University of Ulster and Tomás recent years, and have advertised O Ruairc, Director of the Teaching again this year despite often severe Council (Ireland); and the institutions financial constraints. They are Safefood, which make up the International Centre Tourism Ireland, InterTradeIreland, the for Local and Regional Development Loughs Agency, Weber Shandwick, (ICLRD): the Institute for International Cooperation Ireland, EURES cross- Urban Development in Cambridge, border partnership, FPM Chartered Massachusetts; the National Institute for Accountants, John McMahon and Co Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) accountants, Leslie Stannage Design at the National University of Ireland (and in particular Roisin McAuley and Maynooth; and the School of the Built their brilliant senior designer, Ashley Environment at the University of Ulster. Bingham, who designs all the Centre’s publications and reports), Armagh City A specially warm ‘thank you’, as always, and District Council and the Radisson to our friends, colleagues and close Blu Farnham Estate Hotel in Cavan. partners in the ICLRD: Director John

14 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 NORTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IN 2013: TOWARDS AN EVER CLOSER WORKING PARTNERSHIP

Sir George Quigley

Sir George Quigley can justly be regarded as the ‘father’ of practical North-South cooperation in Ireland. In a speech in February 1992 he outlined his vision of a growth-led Belfast-Dublin ‘economic corridor’ and an ‘island of Ireland’ economy which the EU should treat as one economic area for funding purposes. This vision led to the formation of the IBEC/CBI Joint Sir George Quigley Business Council; underpinned much of the thinking behind the setting up of the North/South trade and business development body InterTradeIreland; and was a key element in the argument that strong economic and business cooperation between the two parts of the island would be a vital element in any sustainable peace process in Northern Ireland. This interview was conducted by Andy Pollak on 11th January 2013. Sir George died suddenly on 3rd March, aged 83.

What was your vision for North- Also published in the 1990s was a study South cooperation when you undertaken for the Asian Development proposed the Belfast-Dublin Bank which examined growth triangles ‘economic corridor’ and ‘island of in Asia. This showed how, by exploiting Ireland’ economy in 1992? economies of scale and integrating the resource endowments of their members, I envisaged the island as a regional adjoining areas in neighbouring space – an economic zone – permeated countries could together be far by complex circuitry reflecting a network more competitive in sectors such as of market and non-market relationships. manufacturing and services (including I was greatly taken with Kenichi tourism). It was clear what could be Ohmae’s analysis of how, across the achieved (as for example in the South globe, economic zones were developing China Triangle) by countries with very which transcended political borders different political systems cooperating to without in any way jeopardising address mutual needs. If it could happen those borders. in Asia, why not in Ireland?

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 15 In fact, when I first advanced the idea For five or six years after 1996 I chaired of the island economy and the Belfast- a group of business-oriented bodies Dublin corridor at the annual conference (called the Group of 7, or G7) which of the Confederation of Irish Industry came together in alarm at the violence (now IBEC) over 20 years ago, I also around contentious parades and the argued that funding from Europe to very slow progress being made in filling the island of Ireland should be carefully the political vacuum. We emphasised aimed at promoting its development as strongly the damage being done to precisely such an economic zone. This Northern Ireland’s economic prospects idea was not pursued, though as time and the need for local politicians to bring went on steps were taken to coordinate the economic dimension closer to the flows of aid to North and South to top of the agenda. We returned to this mutual advantage. topic again and again.

Inherent in my vision was the I do not recall the North-South economic encouragement of the far fuller issue featuring in those discussions. exploitation of the South by the North Unionists generally had reacted pretty as a market for goods and services, and negatively (to put it mildly) to what I vice versa. For that to happen, each part had said (and continued throughout had to acquire much greater knowledge the nineties to say) about the island of the other. Impediments to trade, such economy and, as the negotiations as poor infrastructure, had to resulting in the Good Friday Agreement be removed. evolved, they were clearly having difficulties with the concept of North/ I was in no doubt that it was a daunting South bodies. agenda. So it was very encouraging when a number of champions emerged I did, however, take the opportunity from within the business community and in informal discussion with nationalist the effort was given structure through politicians to urge that the Good the establishment of the IBEC/CBI Joint Friday Agreement should go for North/ Council, to which the recently deceased South bodies that could really deliver William Poole, as its Director, gave such something tangible. The proposed sterling service for many years. North/South Trade and Business Development Body – to become known Were you involved in discussions as InterTradeIreland – was obviously with political and other leaders in such a body. I argued – unsuccessfully Northern Ireland, Ireland, Britain and – that a body capable of addressing elsewhere during the 1990s as the energy issues was an equally compelling NI peace process unfolded about candidate. I got the impression, this vision, and about the economic however, that the sensitivities were just dimension of that process? Can too great to allow the boat to be pushed you tell us a little about those out very far. discussions?

16 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Sir George Quigley with the late William Poole, Director of the IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council

What is your view of the North- formally enlarged to encompass much South dimension of the 1998 Belfast/ of what is involved from a business Good Friday Agreement, and of the perspective in the creation of the island North/South bodies that emerged economy, with a new title indicative of from it? such a role.

As you may have gathered, I would I would also have liked to see the North have liked to see at least one additional South Ministerial Council given the body. Of those that were established, explicit role of identifying on an ongoing I am really only familiar with the work basis any other issues which should of InterTrade Ireland. It had the good be addressed by means of a North/ fortune to be steered through the South body. Such machinery poses initial all-important formative years no threat to anyone. It can (and should by one of Ireland’s most successful be) fully accountable to the democratic and enterprising business figures – Dr institutions in both parts of the island. Martin Naughton – and it has been It should be seen not as a threat to be guided throughout by a very proactive minimised but as an opportunity to be Chief Executive, Liam Nellis (recently captured – provided always, of course, retired). To its credit, it has broadened its that each body passes (and continues activities far beyond what its title might to pass) the severely practical test of suggest its function would be – namely delivering results which would otherwise promoting trade links between North not be achievable for both parts of the and South. I believe its remit should be island on their own.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 17 How do you see the implementation the North’s sales to the South are of the North-South ‘Strand Two’ of now roughly the same as its sales to the Belfast Agreement over the past all the other European countries put 13 years? What are its successes together; there is close cooperation on and shortcomings? infrastructure development; and a Single Electricity Market is being developed I believe that Strand Two has been (notwithstanding the absence of a a resounding success – contrary, North/South body in this area). probably, to what many people expected. The North-South But equally significant is how vastly relationship has been transformed. enriched is the discourse these days Someone, indeed, has referred to about North-South possibilities. I take its unprecedented ordinariness and just four examples. There is the Irish normality today. We seem to have been Academy of Engineers’ 2010 study, able to resolve North-South tensions in Infrastructure for an island population a way which still too often escapes us of 8 million. There is the 2012 report so far as the traditional divisions within by John Bradley and Michael Best the Northern Ireland community itself are on Cross-Border Economic Renewal: concerned. In a purely political context, Rethinking Regional Policy in Ireland the handling of the contentious matter of published by the Centre for Cross Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution Border Studies. There is Michael appears to have been highly significant D’Arcy’s 2012 survey of Opportunities in removing tensions. in North/South Public Service Provision (also published by the Centre). And It is problematic what effect recent there is the Journal of Cross Border efforts to draw the South into issues Studies in Ireland and the journal, around Northern Ireland’s so far Borderlands, and other research unsuccessful attempt to ‘deal with’ the publications of the International Centre past will have on the tone and temper of for Local and Regional Development the North-South relationship. (ICLRD). This ICLRD material deals with an impressive range of issues I suspect that, even without the from river basin management to structure given to it by Strand Two, the mapping of functional territories the relationship would have steadily throughout the island, with much else developed as each part of the island of significance in between. This last is opened up to the other in an era a potentially exciting concept since, where borders have become far more put at its simplest, it could hopefully be porous. After all, strong foundations for developed to provide guidance in an economic/business interaction were laid island context on what services should well before Strand Two of the Belfast be put where, having regard to optimum Agreement. catchment areas, thereby enhancing accessibility and ensuring that services Success can be measured in very are affordable, economically operated practical ways. To mention but a few:

18 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 and effectively configured and managed Rebalancing the Northern Ireland to sustain high quality. economy by growing a far stronger private sector is also going to boost the The richness of the discourse takes prospects for North-South cooperation us into an entirely different world. in the future. It is therefore disappointing What is now vital is to get it positioned that the UK Government has dragged within the mainstream of government its feet over the project to devolve to thinking, North and South, and to have Northern Ireland the power to set its governments that are determined not to own rate of corporation tax. This is let a single idea that merits follow-up fall supported on all sides as being far on stony ground. and away the best strategy for growth in sight. The case for it is even more Has the financial and economic compelling in light of the impact locally crisis in both Ireland and Britain of the UK’s ‘great recession’. This power meant that North-South cooperation should be urgently devolved as part as part of the Northern Ireland of the UK’s national response to the peace process is now very low down recession. the agenda of policy-makers in Dublin and London? Does the Irish Government now see the East-West relationship All countries – and the UK and Ireland with Britain (and particularly its are no exception – are undoubtedly economic dimension) as more preoccupied with the particular important than the relationship with manifestation of the global financial and Northern Ireland? What are the economic crisis in their own jurisdiction. implications of this for the North- And understandably so, since it would South dimension of the peace and only be exaggerating slightly to describe reconciliation process on the Island? the threat posed as existential. Doing whatever is needed to restore as The growing friendship between the quickly as possible a vigorously growing UK and Ireland has been a vital feature economy in the South is ultimately going of the architecture of peace. Keeping to be what counts for the dynamism of it in good repair and where possible North-South cooperation. It is, however, enhancing it (as for instance was vital that the contribution which such demonstrated by the Queen’s visit to cooperation can actually make to Ireland in 2011) therefore makes good that restoration process should not sense. It would, however, represent be ignored. Reducing the burden of a signal failure on the part of both public expenditure North and South is governments if they regarded the an imperative, and it is therefore more relationship as a Great Britain-Ireland important now than ever that all the relationship rather than a UK-Ireland opportunities to do so by rationalising one. I suspect that the health of the public service provision in an island Northern Ireland Peace Process will context without detriment to standards indeed be very much on the agenda, should be grasped. and the demonstration around the turn

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 19 of the year in Belfast of the fragility of the informed and cogent speeches by peace process will have countered any Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the North and tendency to the contrary. the new President has also made very thoughtful and insightful contributions But it goes wider than that. The survey on visits to the North. Moreover, the by Michael D’Arcy which I mentioned decision by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste earlier refers to what he describes as to participate in the Remembrance Day a ‘coordinated, comprehensive and ceremonies in Belfast and Enniskillen proactive programme’ launched a year last November showed that the South ago to develop the potential for mutual remains no mean judge of when the economic benefit between the UK and situation can benefit from a well timed Ireland. He quoted a senior business strategic intervention. person in Dublin to the effect that it would be most helpful to be able to The 1990s and 2000s were a very explore pro-actively how and where benevolent period for Ireland, Northern Ireland could benefit from this Europe and the Western world work and how the South could benefit generally, with the end of the cold from the North’s active participation in it. War and rapid economic growth I very much agree. everywhere. We are living in a very different and harsher climate now. What are the implications of the How has this affected your vision for current low level of interest by the the island of Ireland and for North- Republic’s politicians and public in South cooperation? Northern Ireland? It was a tragedy that the South departed It was inevitable that the exceptionally from its brilliantly successful model of high level of interest would diminish, export-led growth and that the collapse particularly since the ‘problem’ was of the resultant property bubble in effect perceived to have been ‘fixed’. It would wrecked the banking system. Ireland have been a reflection on the lack of was doubly unfortunate in that it had to maturity of Northern Ireland politicians seek a bail-out from Europe early on, if they had continued to be regarded before Europe had gone through the as being at the nursery stage and still long tortuous process (still incomplete) needing nannying by Dublin or London. of discovering how crises of this nature I myself applaud the notion of our being and magnitude should be handled. deemed able to stand on our own Ireland’s debt to GDP ratio pre-crisis had feet, plot an ambitious course, address been remarkably low, but the routing the tough issues and shape our own of the rescue of the banks through the destiny. Hopefully this confidence will not state turned a bank problem into an in the event prove to be misplaced. unnecessarily severe sovereign debt problem, which denied Ireland the ability But the point about lack of interest can to borrow in international markets at be exaggerated. I have, for example, other than punitive interest rates. listened to a couple of very well-

20 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The harsh consequences of the resultant prospects but with a long haul still austerity inevitably occupy centre stage, ahead of it. masking the fact that the solid benefits of the investment which surged into A characteristic of the current Ireland from overseas are still firmly in recession has been the (very natural) place and that the South continues to reluctance to accept the research tap overseas markets very effectively. finding, published in the early stages Remarkably, the value of exports of the crisis, that the combination of exceeds the country’s GDP and, in the circumstances which it exhibits entail a absence of domestic demand, it is this very prolonged period of recovery. And strong engine on which Ireland has that research related to periods when been relying for the revival of growth. the inter-dependencies engendered As we speak, Ireland is featured in by globalisation were far less marked, the Economist as the poster boy of making for still greater complexities in European recovery, with promising today’s world.

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JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 21 Realistically, it is going to take at least recession/financial crisis; the rest of this decade to repair balance the referendum on Scottish sheets public and private, and perhaps independence) affected your vision even longer to absorb the labour surplus of North-/South cooperation in created by the debacle. Much of course Ireland? will depend, particularly for an economy as open as Ireland’s, on the health of the The short answer is ‘not at all’. I can’t wider global economy. add to what I’ve said already on the economic dimension, but I suspect that If it were a sovereign state, the North we are far too fearful of the implications would be regarded as having a of the referendum on Scottish wholly unsustainable structural deficit independence. Even if (as I believe is requiring drastic surgery. As a devolved unlikely) the Scots opt for independence, administration, however, it only has to the common monarchy seems set deal with its proportionate share of the to remain, thereby reverting to the squeeze on UK public expenditure in a position between the accession of the climate of austerity. But the economy Scottish James VI to the English throne cannot grow significantly unless the in 1603 and the act of Union in 1707. private sector expands a lot more There also seems likely to be a shared than is needed to compensate for currency, with the Bank of England’s that contraction of the public sector. writ continuing to run in Scotland, and As things are now, the North’s private with the Scottish Parliament’s fiscal sector is far too small to do so. Hence freedom severely constrained by the the importance of the corporation tax controls which the eurozone experience flexibility to which I referred earlier, has shown are necessary to prevent a boosting investment at home and common currency being jeopardised by from overseas. Getting the process of irresponsibility on the part of individual rebalancing the North’s economy under members – as if the Scots would ever way with far more urgency than the UK act irresponsibly! Government has hitherto displayed will determine how well the North weathers In sum, a rather peculiar kind of the present decade and how well independence could emerge (still equipped it is to make rapid strides preserving much of the architecture thereafter. of economic union) which could be readily accommodated by England, It is vital that during this difficult decade Wales and Northern Ireland in a different the vision for the island remains intact configuration of the old relationships, and, as I said earlier, that none of the particularly if Alex Salmond’s notion of a many ideas for action now spun out of continuing strong ‘social union’ persists. the discourse that is now so strongly established is lost. If independence is rejected, Scotland would probably demand more How have recent developments autonomy and, as we speak, there is in the UK (e.g. the economic speculation that this could lead to a

22 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 wider constitutional convention. If this economies on both sides of the border, happened, there could be any one of a the better the prospects for dynamic range of outcomes: e.g. a fully fledged interaction. federal structure; or a more fully thought through system of devolution, with each This does mean that, since the jurisdiction, on the variable geometry prospects for the UK entering the principle, able to get the tools to do the eurozone seem to have vanished, the job it has to do. Any of the outcomes island is stuck indefinitely with two must surely entail the abandonment of currencies. This obviously adds to the obsession with centralisation and transaction costs, but business seems uniformity which presently bedevils UK to have adjusted to it and it has not governance arrangements. appeared on the North-South agenda as a significant issue. That could Whatever happens, I foresee Northern change if sterling and the euro ceased Ireland securing greater autonomy and to be virtually parallel currencies and therefore having more space to pursue a the relationship was characterised by meaningful North-South agenda. extreme volatility.

How have recent developments in But what if the UK exited from the the EU (and notably the long-running EU? Would that imperil the North- euro crisis) affected your vision of South project? Surely it would in North-South cooperation in Ireland? effect reinforce the border?

The critical issue was clearly whether the First of all, I don’t think it is likely that the South could box its way out of the crisis UK will leave the EU. To decide to go it whilst remaining within the eurozone. alone in what is likely to be increasingly a Ireland’s competitiveness, which had world of competing continents would be deteriorated badly, had to be rebuilt and a huge leap in the dark. On its own, the there were many voices arguing – not UK’s bargaining power on trade issues, just in respect of Ireland but of other for example, would be slight. Moreover, countries experiencing difficulty – that more than 50% of its trade is with the recovery would be hampered by the EU and it is problematic what terms it inability, within a regime of irrevocably could negotiate from outside the Single fixed nominal exchange rates, to Market. The pressures to remain in from regain competitiveness by currency business and those fearful of job losses depreciation. Ireland, no doubt sensible will be immense. of how problematic for all sorts of reasons the project to exit the eurozone What seems more likely, if (and it is would be, chose the difficult path of a big ‘if’) the eurozone succeeds in internal devaluation, which entails slower consolidating itself as a more integrated price and wage growth (or even outright political, fiscal and monetary unit, is decline) and faster productivity growth. that the EU will resolve itself into a As I said earlier, so far, so good. And, two-speed Europe held together by as I also made clear, the stronger the the Single Market. In that event, the UK

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 23 might well get some support from other which areas might these synergies members in the slower lane for changing be best captured? the way the Single Market has been packaged over the years. Sufficient face Let me take first of all the provision could be saved all round to keep the UK of public services. For most, perhaps inside the tent. all, public sector programmes, effort is directed very specifically to meeting Even if the UK were to leave, I cannot the needs of the population in each see it ever being prepared to do jurisdiction, with little reference being so except on terms which did not made to those requiring similar services disadvantage it in relation to its trade on the other side of the border. with the EU. The risk of serious damage to North-South trade therefore seems As to remedies, there is no need to remote in any circumstances. And of rediscover the wheel. Michael D’Arcy’s course much of the rest of the agenda scoping study has identified significant for cooperation which I have sketched possibilities for North-South synergy in out in this interview would be entirely such areas as health, higher education unaffected. and research, energy, tourism and water, and has made a series of What are the key domestic and recommendations. There are enough international issues which will affect ideas here to fuel a North-South public North-South cooperation and the sector agenda for at least a decade ‘island of Ireland’ economy in the ahead and it would be a shame if immediate future? the report were simply to gather dust somewhere. Surely it ought (if this Since the correct strategy for both parts has not already happened) to feature of the island is export-led growth, a key prominently in the deliberations of the determinant of the prosperity of both North South Ministerial Council, with will be the health of the world economy. responsibility assigned for follow-up On the domestic front both North and action. I believe that, where strong South, the trick will be to find the right prima facie possibilities for North-South balance between the discipline required synergy are identified, there should be to rebuild public and private balance set up a small joint planning function sheets and the incentives needed to within those areas, which looks at the stimulate growth. And growth simply present disposition of facilities and cannot occur without banks able future needs throughout the island and and willing to lend responsibility to explores, in effect, how you proceed responsible borrowers. within an island context. That notion links up with the concept of functional Are there strategic ways in the territories which I mentioned earlier. It foreseeable future for capturing can never make sense – but especially more of the synergies inherent in not when there is going to be such an the idea of the ‘island economy’? In ongoing tight constraint on resources – to duplicate capacity unnecessarily or to

24 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 meet needs in other than the most cost- parts of the island have to find their effective, value for money way. fortune in world markets – capturing the investment opportunities afforded I would like to pick out for further brief by the global value chains which comment just two areas from those I girdle the earth, and selling goods and listed a moment ago. It is a cliché that a services from the island into what will strong research base both within higher be a steadily widening spectrum of education and business (and by way increasingly prosperous global markets. of dynamic interaction between them both) is vital for economic growth. But Would it not make sense for North and I wonder whether the full potential of South to undertake as a collaborative North-South synergy is presently being project the study and ongoing derived from the research base within monitoring of the mega trends which the entire island. Is any attempt being will be determining the pattern of made to scope the possibilities and pro- manufacturing and services worldwide actively seek to have them developed? during the next decade and beyond, since this holds the key to achieving the The second area is energy, which is goals I have just outlined? In particular, a key factor in the competitiveness should we not be working in partnership equation. Some progress has been to develop the island’s interface with the made towards realising the concept of formidable players – the BRIC countries a Single Electricity Market. But can we and the others following closely on their really develop the full potential of the heels – who are going to dominate the island, conceived as a single all-purpose future of our new multipolar world? energy market, without the creation of Should we not see how all-island an all-island Energy Authority and an clusters of companies might be formed all-island regulatory regime? We seem which could join forces to gain greater unlikely under present arrangements to clout in their chosen markets or which advance towards the exciting vision, set could share their experience of how out by Ulsterman and Harvard Professor barriers to penetration of new markets Michael McElroy, of an all-island wind- can best be removed? generated electricity system as an alternative to fossil fuels and (to surely There is so much that can be done. transformative effect) giving the island the capacity to be an energy exporter. How can Ireland, North and South, Shale deposits are transforming the establish itself as ‘a globally USA energy scene. We have few natural competitive production platform resources: if Fermanagh’s shale capacity for goods and services traded turns out to be significant and safely worldwide’? (a phrase which you exploitable, may it not prove to be a very used in your North South Ministerial valuable island asset? Council 10th anniversary address in Armagh in December 2009). Turning briefly to the private sector, I have already made clear that both North-South co-operation must not

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 25 be an inward-looking insular project. We can all benefit from learning that A primary object must be to come neither of the great streams of Irish together in ways that perfect our ability history had a consistent vision of an to win the battles that count, i.e. outside inclusive society. Both contributed to the Ireland. So what I had in mind was that development of confessional and tribal we must give free rein to the competitive politics, with religion as the badge of forces within the island in areas such as identity. History reveals few blacks and the provision of professional services, for whites but at least fifty shades of grey! example, so that the cost base in either The playwright Frank McGuiness called part of the island does not become one-dimensional folk memory ‘a lethal hostage to vested interests and the cultural weapon’. The challenge for us is ability to compete globally is lost. to transcend a bitterly divisive legacy.

What I also had in mind was that, by It seems to me that the handling of world standards, both North and South commemorations in their historical are small and separately may lack the context is therefore an ideal topic for critical mass to operate on a scale which consideration by the two governments, minimises unit costs. Energy is one – but aided by a panel of professional merely one – example. Research centres historians. An excellent model exists of excellence are another. It would be in the framework developed by the foolish not to concentrate resources in Government in the South, with the help order to achieve scaleability and hone of historians, to commemorate the the island’s competitive edge. 200th Anniversary of 1798.

Do you think there is any scope Do you think that the protests and for the two Irish jurisdictions to violence over the flags issue which come together to learn from the erupted in December invalidate commemorations of the your vision? 1912-1922 period? No, I don’t. On the contrary, I think it Very much so. The commemorations makes all the stronger the case for can be a wonderful access point into the developing a good, healthy, mutually two grand narratives which define the beneficial partnership between the two strands of Britishness and Irishness on parts of the island. This can demonstrate the island. Far from being an obstacle that all strands of identity can not only to focusing forward, history offers all of co-exist but can work together in the us an indispensable means of learning common interest. Until recently, the to understand each other and taking South was seen as the eminence grise the monkey off our backs. But the behind a nationalist conspiracy to take history I speak about is the history which over the North. That does not feature stretches back far beyond the Troubles any longer in public debate. and which shaped the context out of which those Troubles emerged. History I have already referred to the success of did not begin in 1968. Strand Two. Its continuing success can

26 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 serve as a paradigm for inter-community The observation (whose validity relations in the North. is confirmed by so much that has happened in the North) is that major How do you foresee the economic change has to obtain legitimacy if it and social shape of Ireland in 2020? is not to prove destabilising and even impermanent. Achieving legitimacy in I foresee an island emerging somewhat this context must surely start with the battered and bruised from a decade recognition that there are in this situation more difficult than anyone could have two mutually opposed ‘principles of begun to imagine as the new millennium legitimacy’ which are strongly held - one dawned. Much still has to be done to nationalist and one unionist - and that prevent a recurrence. For example, the some common ground would have to be matter of how radical the restructuring found on which the divergent aspirations of the financial sector needs to be has are transcended in a general consensus. yet to be adequately addressed. Nor do The Good Friday Agreement recognises we know how to ensure that the vast this in its espousal of the principle of amounts of money which slosh around consent for constitutional change. It the globe find productive uses in the real would be a delusion to suppose that world rather than in a parallel universe change could be achieved through of speculative activity. How these issues some simple majoritarian process rather play out will largely determine the scope than by negotiation. and limits of ‘the new normal’. My speculative comment is this. If However, once the economic legacy there is ever a new constitutional of the ‘noughties’ boom is liquidated, configuration for the island, my guess and both parts of the island are able is that the model by far the likeliest to operate as open, well-balanced to secure consent is the confederal economies, drawing fully on the model which featured as the most synergies they develop between them, I persuasively argued of a range of see no reason why sustainable options in the Report of the New Ireland growth levels which support a Forum in 1984. On this basis the final widespread high standard of living agreed Ireland would be a joint, equal and good quality of life, and enable venture between North and South, disadvantage to be decisively tackled, with each having its own governance should not be achievable. structure, and with policies related to the powers to be specifically delegated Can you foresee any new to confederal level determined jointly constitutional configuration for the by representatives from North and island of Ireland in the future? South. It is worth recalling the 1984 Report’s comment that ‘based on the I shall resist the temptation to duck existing identities, North and South, [a this question in order to make confederal solution] would reflect the one observation and to venture a political and administrative realities of the speculation. past 60 [now of course 90] years and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 27 would entrench a measure of autonomy vision I described at the start of this for both parts of Ireland within an all- interview embraces. island framework. While protecting and fostering the identities and ethos of the Until his sudden death on 3 March two traditions, it would enable them to 2013, Sir George Quigley was work together in the common interest’. Chairman of Bombardier Aerospace The Report envisages unionists having in Belfast. After a distinguished parallel British citizenship and, as it put career in the Northern Ireland civil it, being able to ‘maintain special links service – during which he was with Britain’. Permanent Secretary in a number of departments – he became Is there anything you would like to Chairman of Ulster Bank in 1989. say in conclusion? He was a former President of the Economic and Social Research Just, first of all, to thank you for the Institute in Dublin and Chair of the opportunity to address these issues, board of the Institute of British- daunting though the questions you have Irish Studies at UCD, and served on posed were! numerous public bodies in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Britain. In 2002 But, second, to say that I do believe he carried out a review of the NI that North and South will develop Parades Commission. He was part an ever closer working partnership. of the team which oversaw the The cumulative process of widely 'putting beyond use' of loyalist dispersed incremental change and the paramilitary arms. He was mourned occasional breakthrough will reach by all sections of the community in a tipping point where North-South Northern Ireland. co-operation develops a momentum of its own. Indeed, increasingly, the interdependence of both parts of the island is forcing itself on public attention. A weaker economy in the South hits the North’s exports. The collapse of the South’s banks makes a public body in the South (NAMA) a major property owner in the North, with the ability to have a huge impact on the local property market. Differences in taxation between the two parts (e.g. corporation tax and VAT) can skew economic activity in significant ways.

It seems sensible to forge out of growing interdependence the positive outcomes for both North and South which the

28 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 BEYOND THE BELFAST AGREEMENT: ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITHIN THESE ISLANDS

John Bradley

15 years after it was signed, the Belfast Agreement operates today mainly as a mechanism for maintenance of peace and devolved government within Northern Ireland (Strand 1), with supportive but off-stage roles for North-South and East-West mechanisms (Strands 2 and 3). As the new devolved governance institutions were set up and started to John Bradley function, it is understandable that attention in London and Dublin was focused on supporting the new Northern administration and not on wider issues within and between these islands.1 However, time moves on and circumstances change. Today, in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, with further devolution of power within the UK, and with the UK government adopting a very negative stance to current and future EU developments, these wider relationships have become more complex and challenging.

Having opted out of joining the euro of Scottish independence will be zone shortly after the Belfast Agreement posed. Another, the Northern Ireland was concluded, the UK government is government, is actively seeking greater now contemplating a more significant fiscal autonomy in order to compete on form of disengagement from deeper a more level playing field with Ireland to entanglement with the EU at a time attract inward investment. Perhaps the when the Irish government appears time is now right to bring Strand 2 and 3 willing, if not eager, to participate thinking more to centre stage? in and win benefits from an ever deepening union. Furthermore, within Small states, big world the UK there are now three devolved regional administrations. One of these, In political and economic space, small the Scottish government, will hold a states like Ireland define themselves in referendum in 2014, where the question terms of their relationships with other

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 29 more powerful states. Their social and All three of these external drivers of cultural life can be as self-organised Irish economic development are under and unique as they desire, but since pressure today. The dominant role of they cannot impose their own political the US economy is threatened both by or economic will on their neighbours, internal impacts of the global recession they must seek to promote their welfare and by the dramatic rise of Asian through establishing and maintaining economies that challenge US hegemony. close, friendly and stable relationships The performance of the EU economy within an external world that largely has been battered by the same global determines their ability to grow and recession, further exacerbated by prosper. They must, in the words of internal problems and tensions within Winston Churchill at Yalta in 1945, hope the euro zone that have yet to be that ‘the Eagle should permit the small resolved. The United Kingdom also birds to sing, and care not wherefore struggles to emerge from recession and they sang’. slow growth, while it has simultaneously chosen to distance itself from economic In very broad strategic terms, Ireland’s and political integration within the EU. external world today has three key Any one of these three problems would defining elements that are individually pose serious challenges for Ireland’s common to many small states, but future prospects. For all three to occur taken all together are exceptional. First, simultaneously is unprecedented. its close relationship with the United States has facilitated the spectacular Our focus in this article is on the rise of a modern, export-oriented third element, Irish-UK relationships, manufacturing and services sector, embracing also the North-South both through mainly US foreign direct relationships within this island. This is investment and through spillovers into probably the most complex of the three locally owned business enterprises. main external driving forces. It is also Second, the destinations for the the one most taken for granted, but exported products of these enterprises least well understood. Familiarity breeds are predominantly within the European neglect. But two specific events have Union’s single market. Third, within served to deflect attention away from the EU, Ireland has particularly close any deep study of the importance of the trading and other links with one large EU evolving economic relations between state, the United Kingdom, an enduring and within these islands in recent legacy from the pre-1922 period when decades. The first was the simultaneous Ireland was a constituent part of the entry of the UK and Ireland (together UK. Within this last defining element, with Denmark) into the then EEC in the relationships between Ireland and January 1973, after which Brussels Northern Ireland have aspects that are quickly supplanted London as the focus specific to this island and differ from of Ireland’s economic policy concerns.2 wider relationships between the regions of Great Britain and Ireland. The second was the civil unrest in Northern Ireland, initiated in 1968 and

30 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron pictured during their meeting in London in March 2012 brought to a kind of closure by the challenges that call into question any signing of the Belfast Agreement in complacency that led them to neglect 1998. The need to restore political, what is happening within the UK and economic and business normality between Ireland and the UK. Given between North and South, rebuilding the large disparity in the relative sizes what Sir George Quigley identified in of the Irish and UK economies, and 1992 as the ‘island economy’, served even between the ‘island’ economy to deflect attention away from the (Ireland and Northern Ireland) and the important strategic implications of the ‘larger island’ British economy (England, legacy of wider British-Irish economic Scotland and Wales), it is reasonable interactions within a global economy. to look at this question mainly from From Irish economic and business the point of view of implications and perspectives, subliminally, if not in reality, consequences for Ireland.3 While after 1st January 1973 Britain simply Ireland’s economy exercises some became just another EU economy, degree of influence on the economy albeit a rather important one with of the UK, as we will show below, it respect to activity within and between is Ireland that must prepare for the these islands. consequences of current and future changes within the UK over which it will The times they are a-changin’ have little or no control. In particular, Ireland is vulnerable to any policy Irish businesses and policy makers shifts made within the UK that may today face new and unexpected clash with its own often different goals

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 31 and development strategies. The UK but far more important connections will, of course, have to analyse the with Brussels and Washington. The consequences for its own economy 'Boston or Berlin' choice articulated in of any detachment from the EU and 2000 by the then Tánaiste, Mary Harney, continual absence from the euro zone, with its now discredited, doctrinaire as well as any deepening of internal hubris, missed the important point that regional autonomy. The point here is international economic policy is made in that UK-Irish relationships are unlikely to Washington, Brussels and, unfortunately influence UK decisions in the slightest. for Ireland, London. In our present crisis, posturing is a luxury that we can ill Whether or not the UK eventually afford.4 dilutes its relationship with the EU to any significant degree, or whether or The Joint Statement: Reading not Scotland achieves independence between the lines and Northern Ireland is given fiscal autonomy within the UK, Irish policy The above kinds of strategic issues makers need to address the complex were barely touched on in the Joint task of reconstructing a relationship Statement issued by Prime Minister with the UK and its regions in a way that David Cameron and Taoiseach, Enda remains consistent with, and does not Kenny on 12th March 2012.5 This path- damage, Ireland’s main strategic goal of breaking statement was a rare, formal seeking stability and prosperity through and public recognition of the fact that ever closer integration into EU policy the economic well-being of the UK and and economic structures. As Northern Irish economies is more dependent on Ireland makes its transition to normality their mutual interactions than may be and more autonomous regional fully appreciated. Their joint prosperity policy-making, Irish policy makers is sensitively dependent on a complex must now regard future Irish-Northern of business, economic and social Irish structures and relationships as interactions which, because of their harbingers of the kind of multi-layered history, both states have found difficult relationships between these islands to study impartially and at arm’s length. that we will have to foster if or when Scotland and Wales seek greater For example, the series of four studies autonomy or even independence within on Britain-Ireland: Lives Entwined, the UK. published since 2005 by the British Council, rightly celebrate the deep and We saw that the Dublin-London focus of harmonious cultural links between and Irish economic policy-making effectively within these islands, but contain no vanished after 1973. We must now discussion of how the close business prepare for the resurrection of a more and economic links also ‘entwine’ our complex form of that earlier relationship two nations.6 To an economist, the that will involve Dublin, Belfast, picture on the cover of the third study Edinburgh, Cardiff and London, and the (Britain and Ireland: Lives Entwined – A requirement to make this completely new dawn? 2008), reproduced in consistent with Ireland’s equally close Figure 1, reinforces strongly the thesis

32 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 that any cosy UK-Irish relationship is to the value of the UK-Irish economic only as effective as the strength of the relationship, as articulated in the Joint branch upon which our common ‘nest’ Statement. Most immediately, both rests. This image is not at all reassuring! Ireland and the UK are emerging out of recession at a time of very low and Figure 1: Economies entwined? uncertain world growth prospects, and seek to maximise benefits from internal interactions between these islands. As we will see, Ireland is a major trading partner of the UK, to an extent far out of proportion to their relative sizes. Indeed, this has been the source of some negative internal comment in the UK. Elliot and Atkinson remarked last year that: ‘The United Kingdom exports as much to Ireland, one of the few countries in Western Europe in a more parlous state, as it does to China, India, Brazil and Russia put together’.8

In addition to obvious current business and economic reasons, the advent of a The complex and disputed historical decade of centenary commemorations roots of the UK-Irish relationship have of political upheavals between these tended to distract attention from its islands carries with it the need for current closeness and mutual benefit. reflection on our past, present and likely In particular, the task of repairing and future economic relationships, learning rebuilding political and economic from the consequences of earlier institutions between Ireland and political changes. History casts a long Northern Ireland absorbed much time shadow over today’s UK-Irish economic and resources of both governments, institutions and structures, even if it perhaps to the neglect of the wider does not pre-determine or even British-Irish relationship. At the dominate them. international level, both the UK and Ireland have vital national interests in Patterns of UK and Irish trade their economic links with the wider EU and global economies. The narrower From the period after independence Irish-UK inter-dependency has tended in 1922 to the late 1950s, the UK was to be taken for granted and has not effectively the sole destination for Irish been the subject of regular and focused exports, which were all of a mainly economic and policy research in either agricultural nature (Figure 2). The jurisdiction.7 absence of Irish participation, other than in the north-east corner centred A series of overlapping developments on Belfast, in both phases of the 18th have generated increased attention and 19th century industrial revolutions

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 33 taking place in the rest of the UK, meant and finance-related areas. The UK, that after 1922 the newly independent previously a global industrial power- Irish Free State had only a miniscule house, de-industrialised, shed much of manufacturing sector.9 The eventual its traditional manufacturing specialities, construction of an Irish manufacturing shrank the share of manufacturing sector between 1932 and the late 1950s to one of the smallest in the EU, and took place behind high protective tariff massively expanded its service sector in barriers and created an industrial base the financial and retail areas. that was weak, inefficient and difficult to orient towards export markets. Figure 2: UK Share of Irish Imports and Exports What might usefully be termed the ‘re-industrialisation’ or ‘modernisation’ of Ireland after 1960 was driven mainly by foreign direct investment, predominantly from the USA but with some UK participation, accompanied by tax incentives, education and training reforms and improvements in the quality of physical infrastructure.10 With a modern and efficient manufacturing base, Irish export trade steadily diversified away from the dominance of These developments have profound the UK and away from mainly agricultural implications for the future of the Irish-UK products, but the UK long remained the economic relationship. Ireland has an largest single trading partner. economic strategy, albeit one involving dependency, that is heavily based on the Over the same period, the UK economy efficient hosting of inward investment, also underwent massive structural which requires maintaining close links change, with a decline in manufacturing with the EU and the US. The UK has and a rise in services. UK restructuring struggled to find a robust post-industrial was driven by global considerations: strategy and its actions are heavily the increasing hegemony of the US influenced by the perceived need to economy, the rapid post World War protect its massive financial services Two modernisation of Germany and sector from unwelcome EU regulation. In Japan, and the recent rise of China and addition, as its traditional manufacturing other Asian economies as industrial sector contracted, it has not been able powers. In other words, both the UK to put in place development strategies and Ireland restructured in recent to revive its rust-belt regions in Scotland, decades, but in radically different Wales and northern England. ways. Ireland developed a modern manufacturing base effectively from The Joint Statement took a more scratch, and more recently a base of upbeat, positive approach and drew export oriented services in software attention to the most obvious aspects

34 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 of the present UK-Irish economic the surplus on UK trade with Ireland relationship: trade, inward investment, exceeded that of its trade with the USA. migration/labour movements, tourism and a future of ever closer engagement Table 1: Irish trade shares in goods and cooperation. Of course, these Export Shares % Import Shares % kinds of relationships are found in most countries that have common borders or USA 19.8 UK 32.5 that are geographically and/or culturally UK 16.7 USA 14.0 close. But the sense of the Joint Statement was that these relationships Belgium 14.7 Germany 6.8 are stronger than the norm in the case Germany 8.4 China 5.5 of the UK and Ireland and that both Switzerland 5.2 Netherlands 4.7 countries benefit. France 4.9 France 3.9 The most obvious inter-relationship is the high volume of trade between the A dramatic feature of recent Irish two countries (Tables 1-3). Table 1 growth is the rise of international trade (Irish trade shares in goods) shows that in services, dominated by software and today just under 17 per cent of total Irish financial related activities.Table 2 shows exports of goods go to the UK, but the the pattern of services export and import highest single country share is now the behaviour, complementing the data on USA, at 19.8 per cent.11 The third largest trade in goods shown in Table 1. Unlike trade share is Belgium at 14.7 per cent, trade in goods, where Ireland runs a with Germany at 8.4 per cent. massive surplus, overall trade in services is more balanced. The dominant market For Irish total import shares by country for Irish services exports is the UK (18.5 of origin, the picture is rather different. per cent), almost twice as big as the Here the UK is the dominant source of next largest, Germany (9.4 per cent). Irish imports of goods, with a share of However, Ireland imports its services 32.5%. The next largest share is the mainly from the US (30 per cent), with USA (14 per cent), followed by Germany, the Netherlands (14 per cent) and the China and the Netherlands. As shown UK (12 per cent) in second and third above in Figure 2, the share of total place. Once again, these import shares Irish imports originating in the UK has are probably distorted by the presence declined steadily since the 1920s, but of US multinationals and should be still remains large. interpreted with care.

Today Ireland is one of only two major trading partners with whom the UK has a trade surplus in goods (the other being the USA). The surpluses in 2010 were £10.5bn for the USA and £4.2bn for Ireland, but in many of the years of high growth prior to the 2008 crisis,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 35 Table 2: Irish trade shares in cent shares. Ireland lies eighth, with a services share of 3.3 per cent. Export Shares % Import Shares % Table 3: UK trade shares in goods UK 18.5 USA 29.9 Export Shares % Import Shares % Germany 9.4 Netherlands 13.9 USA 13.3 Germany 12.6 USA 7.2 UK 12.1 Germany 10.9 China 7.9 France 5.9 Luxembourg 6.1 Netherlands 7.9 USA 7.2 Italy 5.7 Germany 3.4 France 7.4 Netherlands 7.2 Turning to the United Kingdom, the trade Ireland 6.0 France 5.8 shares for goods are shown in Table 3.12 The six biggest export destinations Belgium 5.4 Belgium 5.0 for UK trade in goods are the USA (13.3 (incl Lux) (incl Lux) per cent), followed by Germany, the Italy 3.5 Netherlands and France. Ireland, in spite of its small economic ‘size’, ranks fifth, Ireland 3.3 at 6 per cent. Turning to import shares, A final piece of the Irish-UK jigsaw Germany is by far the largest source of shows up when we examine the UK imports, with a share of 12.6 per orientation of Irish firms to export cent of total UK imports. This is followed markets, differentiated by local and by China (7.9 per cent), and the USA foreign ownership. This is shown in and the Netherlands, both with 7.2 per Table 4 below.

Table 4: Export orientation of Irish manufacturing by ownership All firms Exporting firms Total % Materials Total % % Distribution of Employment imported Employment Output output exported exported UK EU USA RoW Irish 2000 132666 29.4 90971 47 40.2 33.8 12.5 13.5 2010 85144 31.9 60910 53.1 40.2 38.3 10 11.5 Foreign 2000 122978 56.3 115538 94.4 16.9 52 14 17 2010 97685 79.5 76016 95.2 7.9 38.2 34.4 19.5 Total 2000 255644 47.5 206509 86.4 19 50.4 13.9 16.7 2010 182829 61.1 136926 87.7 11.3 38.2 31.8 18.6

Source: Census of Industrial Production, 2000 and 2010

36 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8

Some remarkable facts emerge from pre-independence ‘web of dependency’ this table. First, although Irish-owned still endure. exporting firms only export about 50 per cent of their total output, against 95 Other East-West links per cent for foreign-owned firms, this is still a very high export orientation by Another important UK-Irish inter- EU standards. Second, the Irish-owned relationship concerns flows of labour firms supply more to the UK market (40 within what remained a free travel area per cent of total exports) than to the after 1922. The historical pattern of entire rest of the EU (34-38 per cent). large-scale out-migration flows from Third, although Irish exporting firms only Ireland to the UK goes back to the produced 17.6 per cent of the output of era of the Great Famine, but in more all firms who exported in the year 2010, recent years net outflows have been they employed 44.5 per cent of workers. both positive and negative, driven by economic push-pull factors such as the On the narrow basis of production and relative buoyancy of the UK and Irish trade, what can one conclude about labour markets. the UK-Irish relationship? The fact that almost 20 per cent of total Irish exports If labour demand in Ireland is high (as go to the UK reflects both geography it was over the period 1995-2007), and history.13 Closer examination of previous emigrants tend to return to take the one third share of Ireland’s goods up jobs. When labour demand is weak, imports supplied by the UK suggests as it is at present, net out-migration that these are predominantly consumer flows start up again. In many ways the products, where Irish demand is more magnitude and characteristics of UK- explicable in terms of culture (the Irish migration flows also resemble the English language), common standards kinds of high inter-regional flows that (consumer electrical goods) and taste one tends to get inside any large country (long familiar food products) rather than where barriers to migration are very low, any innate superiority in terms of design rather than international migration flows, or price. Similar factors probably explain which are usually smaller and where the capacity of Irish exporters to capture cultural, linguistic and other barriers tend over 3 per cent of the UK market, a to be much higher. share comparable to that of much larger neighbouring EU states, and Both the UK and Ireland now interact the appearance of Ireland as the fifth within the EU Single Market, where all largest export market for UK producers. tariff and non-tariff barriers have been The orientation of employment- removed. The further strengthening intensive Irish-owned firms to the UK of the Single Market is of vital interest export market and the pattern of trade to both states, but in different ways. resembles nothing so much as that Common interests include support occurring between regions of a large for greater openness to the global state rather than between independent economy, in particular greater opening nation states. Elements of an earlier, of services markets (such as new

38 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 forms of e-trading) and the evolution were set out in the speech made by of an internal market in energy. But the Prime Minister Cameron on 23 January UK has stayed outside the Schengen 2013 are likely to have serious, if as area, thereby forcing Ireland also to yet unquantifiable impacts on the Irish remain outside because of the political economy.16 The Joint Statement focused and practical impossibility of having primarily on the benefits of present a Schengen border on this island.14 UK-Irish links and the desirability of The UK also stayed outside the deepening them in the future. It was eurozone, facing Ireland with handling completely silent on the likely disruptive the consequences of disruptive and costs of any UK disengagement from EU unpredictable fluctuations of the sterling/ institution building and ignored possible euro exchange rate, an instability that impacts of major policy misalignments. has particular impacts on the Irish and Nation states are entitled to make policy Northern Irish border region.15 in the light of their own national interests, even within the EU. However, there are Centripetal or centrifugal? well established mechanisms in the EU for reconciling differences and mitigating It is probably asking too much to expect any asymmetric costs. With the that Ireland and the UK will ever form prospects of the UK ‘drifting towards the as close an economic relationship as, exit’, perhaps the time has come to take say, the Benelux Union (previously, the a new look at Strands 2 and 3 of the Benelux Economic Union). The large Belfast Agreement and adapt them to disparity in size, for one thing, would address the emerging challenges within make any Anglo-Irish Economic Union these islands. Such an arrangement less relevant to the UK as a whole than would surely be of assistance to the to Ireland, but it could be very relevant devolved regional governments of to the devolved regions of the UK. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Nevertheless, the serious differences whose interests may not be served by between Irish and UK approaches any disengagement of the UK from the to engagement with the EU does European Union. make such a coordinating framework necessary, if not essential. Were the UK In the narrower context of the provision a willing participant within the reformed of public services on this island, and deepened eurozone and part of the Michael D’Arcy has already scoped Schengen Area, matters of mutual UK- out what he terms a ‘prosperity Irish interest could be handled within EU process’, i.e., the task of identifying institutions if there was no enthusiasm mutually beneficial opportunities for to move towards more formal bilateral the governments in Dublin and Belfast co-operation along Benelux lines. to work together for the practical benefit of their citizens.17 The quest for However, the kinds of moves away from any wider ‘prosperity process’ within closer EU integration and the desire for and between these islands presents a narrower EU focused on the Single a much greater challenge, requiring Market (i.e., a kind of neo-EEC) that the active engagement of public and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 39 private sectors and the acceptance that strategies, with an emphasis on constructive engagement with the EU EU Structural Fund design and is a necessary condition for deepening evaluation. His current research economic and other links between us. and consultancy activities focus mainly on the new EU member Dr John Bradley is author, with states and candidate states. He Professor Michael Best, of specialises in the development Cross-Border Economic Renewal: barriers facing the post-Communist Rethinking Regional Policy in economies of Central and Eastern Ireland (Centre for Cross Border Europe, and in the study of the Studies, 2012). He was formerly role of inward investment and the Research Professor at the Dublin- impact of pre-accession and post- based Economic and Social accession Structural Funds on those Research Institute (ESRI), and is economies. He regularly acts as a now an international consultant consultant to government ministries working in the area of development in many of these countries.

ENDNOTES

1. For a more detailed discussion of political aspects of the implementation of the East-West and North-South dimensions of the Belfast Agreement, see the paper by Andy Pollak on 'Irish-British Relations, 1998-2012: From Provincial Conflict to European Tensions' (presented at the University of Strasbourg, 6 December 2012).

2. See article by John FitzGerald (‘Ireland: A Multi-cultural economy’) in Ireland on the World Stage, eds. William Crotty and David Schmitt, Longman, 2001, page 73.

3. In 2011, the ratio of total Irish GDP to UK GDP was approximately 1:10. The corresponding population ratio was 1:14.

4. See http://www.djei.ie/press/2000/210700.htm for the text of the Tanaiste’s speech on ‘Boston or Berlin’.

5. http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2012/03/joint-statement-taoiseach- enda-kenny-prime-minister-david-cameron/

6. For the four British Council studies, see http://www.opendemocracy.net/ freeform-tags/britain-and-ireland-lives-entwined.

40 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8

7. However, a study was commissioned by the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Irish Government in December 2012 and is scheduled to report by the end of March 2013 (‘Evaluating the value of the economic relationship between the United Kingdom and Ireland’).

8. Larry Elliott and Dan Atkinson, Going South: Why Britain will have A Third World Economy by 2014, Palgrave/MacMillan, 2012 (page 58).

9. Further historical analysis is available in a report prepared for the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation (Bradley, 1996: An island economy: exploring long- term economic and social consequences of peace and reconciliation in the island of Ireland). Cormac Ó Gráda’s seminal work, Ireland: A New Economic History 1780-1939 (Clarendon Press, 1995) is the key source for the pre-1922 period.

10. In Northern Ireland, where inward investment was more modest, Britain played a similar role to that of the USA in Ireland.

11. The trade share with Belgium is distorted by the large element of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. However, a considerable proportion of these are undoubtedly transhipped to other countries. In an economy whose manufacturing sector is dominated by multinational enterprises, trade data have to be interpreted with caution.

12. Unfortunately, UK trade in services by export destination and import source are not published, so it is not possible to examine these patterns, other from the perspective of Irish trade, using CSO data (Table 2 above).

13. For example, 26 per cent of Polish exports go to Germany, its close geographical neighbour.

14. In his January 23rd EU speech, Prime Minister Cameron commented that: ‘Two EU countries – Britain and Ireland – have retained their border controls’.

15. For a review of the consequences of the euro-sterling fault line on the island, see J. Bradley and M. Best (2012), Cross Border Economic Renewal: Rethinking Irish Regional Policy, Chapter 9 (‘The Cross-Border Shopping Phenomenon’) (http://www.crossborder.ie/pubs/2012-economic-report.pdf)

16. Christoph Scheurmann, the London correspondent for der Spiegel, commented: “How in heaven’s name does Cameron propose to persuade the German Chancellor, the French President and all the other European leaders that he should get to pick the raisins from the cake while everyone else gets the crumbs?”.

42 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 IMPACT ASSESSMENT: DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY TO SUPPORT CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION

Ruth Taillon

In October 2011, at an international conference in Cavan, the Centre for Cross Border Studies (CCBS) launched its Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross- Border Cooperation, developed in partnership with the Euro Institut in Germany and funded by the EU INTERREG programme. At the heart of the impact assessment method is the idea of what change is Ruth Taillon needed (social, economic or environmental) in a particular cross-border region (or to use the EU term, cross-border territory).

Impact assessment is a method for funded by the EU’s European Territorial project, programme or policy planning Cooperation (ETC) programmes – i.e. that starts with identification of the core INTERREG and PEACE. In the past problem; defines strategic and specific EU-funded cross-border programme objectives that relate specifically to the and project promoters have often found causes and effects of that problem; and it difficult to demonstrate impact: i.e. then moves on to decisions about what the changes that have taken place as is to be done, what impacts the project a result of the activities undertaken. is intended to achieve, and how these The Impact Assessment Toolkit for impacts (or changes) will be measured, Cross-Border Cooperation can help to demonstrated, reported and evaluated. define and clarify the extent to which a While this Toolkit was developed by project, programme or policy is likely to CCBS and the Euro Institut in Germany contribute to these desired changes. specifically for use in the Irish border The Toolkit can help to determine region, the method is transferable whether a cross-border approach is the to other transnational or appropriate level of intervention and, if cross-border contexts. so, to identify the ‘added value’ of such cooperation. Since its publication, it has become increasingly clear that the Toolkit has It will identify whether the proposed filled a very real gap in the resources activities could have a greater overall available to cross-border actors, impact – socially, economically or particularly those working on projects environmentally – if undertaken on

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 43 a cross-border basis rather than publication, and it has been made separately within each jurisdiction. For available on the website of INTERACT, example, will new relationships be built the support programme for the between people or organisations that implementation bodies of all ETCs. While would not have developed otherwise? some of the terminology being used by Will the cross-border activities lead the Commission has changed in recent to new ways of working or more years, the Toolkit is very much in line intensive collaboration that would not with the Commission’s objectives of have been the case if they had been being able to demonstrate more clearly carried out separately? Will a cross- the changes that have been achieved as border approach be more efficient and/ a result of the investment by EU funding or effective than a single jurisdiction programmes. approach? Two policy initiatives Interest across Europe Cross-border cooperation between Since its launch, the Impact Assessment Ireland and Northern Irelanld has been Toolkit for Cross-Border Cooperation evolving, deepening and widening over has attracted considerable interest the past 15 years as a result of two main across Europe. It is being translated into policy imperatives: French and Catalan and there are plans through the Transfrontier Euro Institut 1) The commitment to cross-border Network (TEIN) to adapt it for use in cooperation that is integral to the other EU border regions. In Ireland, the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement; and Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) has already integrated the Toolkit‘s 2) EU Territorial Cohesion Policy, methodology into the application which is aimed at reducing regional process for the final tranche of the disparities in Europe; creating jobs INTERREG IVA programme (2013-2015), by promoting competitiveness and and it is anticipated that it will also be making the regions concerned used in European Territorial Cooperation more attractive to businesses Programmes (ETCs) for the period and investors; and encouraging 2014-2020 – i.e. INTERREG V and cooperation across borders through PEACE IV – that will be implemented by joint programmes, projects and the SEUPB. networks.

At European Commission level also, In the period 2007-2013 the European there has been considerable interest Territorial Cooperation objective covers in the Toolkit. Senior officials in the three types of programmes: cross- Commission’s Directorate-General border cooperation programmes along Regional and Urban Policy (DG internal EU borders (INTERREG IVA); Regio) with overall responsibility for transnational cooperation programmes implementation and evaluation of that cover larger areas of co-operation the ETCs have warmly welcomed its such as the Baltic Sea, the Alpine and

44 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 For further information contact Ross Williamson +44 28 9034 7300 [email protected]

WeberShandwick_A5.indd 1 18/02/2013 14:54 Mediterranean regions(INTERREG IVB); to bring together the Northern Ireland and the inter-regional cooperation Executive and and the Irish Government: programme (INTERREG IVC); and three networking programmes (URBACT II, To develop consultation, cooperation INTERACT II and ESPON) that cover all and action within the island of Ireland 27 Member States of the EU. – including through implementation on an all-island and cross-border This cooperation is being implemented basis – on matters of mutual interest in Ireland through a range of cross- within the competence of the border structures and relationships Administrations, North and South. and supported with resources from the The two administrations are pledged EU, the UK and Irish Governments, to use their best endeavours to the Northern Ireland Executive, local reach agreement on the adoption authorities on both sides of the border of common policies, in areas where and a wide range of social partners. there is a mutual cross-border and all-island benefit, and which “Cohesion policy is the EU’s main are within the competence of both instrument for pursuing harmonious administrations.2 development across the Union. It is based on a broad vision, which Arising from the Agreement, work encompasses not just the economic programmes for six ‘Areas for development of lagging regions and Cooperation’ were agreed and these support for vulnerable social groups, are discussed at sectoral meetings of but also environmental sustainability the North South Ministerial Council, and respect for territorial and but implemented separately in each cultural features of different jurisdiction. These are agriculture, parts of the EU. This breadth of education, environment, health, vision is reflected in the variety of tourism and transport. In addition, programmes, projects and partners six ‘implementation bodies’ span that are supported under the policy.” the border: Waterways Ireland; the Food Safety Promotion Board; Investing in Europe’s Future: Fifth report on InterTradeIreland; the North South economic, social and territorial cohesion, Language Body; Foyle, Carlingford and November 2010 Irish Lights Commission; and the Special European Union Programmes Body. Development of a cross-border Impact Policies in these areas are agreed at Assessment Toolkit for use in the North South Ministerial Council level and context of the island of Ireland, must, in administered directly by these cross- the first instance, take into account the border bodies. imperatives set out in the 1998 Belfast/ Good Friday Agreement. Under Strand European Cohesion Policy Two of that Agreement, the North South Ministerial Council1 was established Increasingly, however, European Cohesion Policy is shaping and

46 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 determining resource and policy area of the European Union is affected decisions in the Irish cross-border in the same way, or experiences the region. The objective of European same level of crisis. Ireland has been Cohesion Policy is to strengthen particularly badly affected, and along economic, social and territorial with Greece and Portugal, its financial cohesion by reducing disparities and economic policies are now largely between the development levels in dictated by a ‘troika’ of the the European countries and regions of the European Central Bank (ECB), the European Union. Economic, social and territorial Commission and the International disparities at both regional and national Monetary Fund (IMF). The challenge is level have increased in the enlarged EU. to create coherent policy approaches within the framework of the European The increase in the number of the Union that strengthen economic, social Community’s land and sea borders and territorial cohesion while respecting and the extension of its territory diversity: at the European Level, at mean that the value added of cross- the Member State level, and at the border, transnational and interregional regional and local levels. The European cooperation in the community should Commission’s Directorate for Urban and be increased.3 Regional Policy has commented that:

To reduce these disparities, the current An integrated place-based approach financial framework (2007-2013) pursued by Cohesion Policy is ideally has prioritised competitiveness and suited to respond to complex and employment. strongly embedded issues, such as regional development, but in Since 2008, the economic order to maximise synergies better disadvantages and social exclusion and coordination with sectoral policies marginalisation experienced by border is necessary. Territorial cohesion communities in Ireland have, in common also stresses the added value of with border communities throughout the partnership with a strong local EU, been exacerbated by the global dimension, which ensures that policies economic and fiscal crisis. are designed and implemented with local knowledge.5 Europe faces a moment of transformation. The crisis has wiped An important feature of the Impact out years of economic and social Assessment Toolkit is precisely that progress and exposed structural it offers this integrated, place-based weaknesses in Europe's economy. approach to developing cross-border In the meantime, the world is moving cooperation. An integrated place- fast and long-term challenges – based approach is multi-dimensional, globalisation, pressure on resources tailored to features and outcomes that [climate change], ageing – intensify.4 are specific to particular cross-border regions and localities. Thus the Toolkit Of course not every Member State and was developed in the first instance as a

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 47 tool to support the planners of cross- the Toolkit. Core social problems are border programmes and projects in categorised under the headings of Ireland and Northern Ireland. labour force characteristics; inequalities, poverty and social exclusion; health The core problems of the ‘Irish cross- inequalities and community relations. border territory’ (defined as the eligible Core economic problems include area for the INTERREG IV and PEACE both ‘national’ economic problems programmes, i.e. Northern Ireland that impact on the territory, such as and the border counties of Ireland) rising national debt and impacts of are summarised in an appendix to climate change, and territory-specific

48 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 economic problems such as structurally of their project. At the operational level, unbalanced regional economies there are a myriad of diverse cross- and infrastructure deficits. Core border projects. Because there is a environmental problems are also listed, logical gap between the different levels as are core cross-border cooperation of action, the challenge is to bring the problems, including gaps and programme and project dimensions mismatches in statistical information and together: to ‘cascade’ down from indicators, weak political institutions, and the strategic programme aims to the lack of coordination of public policies operational project aims and to and services between the identify the added value of a cross- two jurisdictions. border approach.

While the methodology is transferable, a The Impact Assessment Toolkit, in its certain amount of adaptation would be integrated approach, is innovative in that required for its use in other political and it brings together the ‘three pillars’ of the geographical contexts. The first step of EU’s Sustainable Development Strategy its six-step methodology is to identify – social, economic and environmental – the core problems to be addressed. with a new ‘fourth pillar’ – cooperation. However, a problem – not exclusive to the European Territorial Cooperation In particular, a cross-border approach programmes in Ireland – has been has the potential not only to enhance that many of the projects seeking EU social, economic or environmental funding have not been able to make a impacts that might be achieved by strong logical connection between the single jurisdictional responses, but also region’s macro socio-economic analysis, to have additional impacts that are the strategic objectives of the EU specific to the process of cooperation. programme and the specific objectives

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 49 An Integrated Approach: Three pillars of Sustainable Development

Social Economic Environmental Cooperation

In order to achieve the intended Social, economic or environmental objectives of a programme or project, impacts can be achieved that are it might be necessary, for example, additional to those that might be to make administrative, legislative or achieved by single jurisdiction regulatory changes. New structures may approaches. For example, people be required. These might be temporary or organisations might now have or permanent, formal or informal. There relationships with each other that would may be new monitoring and reporting not have developed otherwise. The arrangements, harmonised regulations programme or project may involve or shared enforcement procedures. new ways of working or more intensive Shared data bases or agreement collaboration than would otherwise be on harmonised legislation might be the case. There might be greater cross- required. Existing policies might have to border mobility of people for a wide be coordinated or harmonised or shared variety of social, cultural or economic policies developed in the framework of reasons. strategic objectives for the cross-border region. We have described these as the Additonal benefits through ‘fourth pillar’ (i.e. the ‘cooperation pillar’). cooperation?

The increasing realisation of potential At each stage of the cross-border mutual benefits and the common added impact assessment process, value of cooperating across the border consideration should be given to is a process that can be seen in the whether there are additional benefits whole European Union, reflected by to be gained through cross-border the increasing number of cooperation cooperation. Will a cross-border initiatives across European borders. approach to addressing a particular The importance of cross-border problem or problems of the Irish cooperation is demonstrated by the Border Region bring ‘added value’ fact that 32 per cent of EU citizens beyond what could be accomplished live in border regions.6 Especially in by responses that might be delivered difficult economic times such as these, independently by actors on one or cross-border cooperation can help to both sides of the border? Can specific strengthen the cohesion of a territory problems associated with the border and tap new financial resources – such or issues of a cross-border nature be as through the INTERREG programme addressed that could not or would not – while other, national resources are have been effectively addressed within decreasing. one or both jurisdictions separately?

50 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins with CCBS Director Designate, Ruth Taillon, at a reception in Aras an Uachtarain. Will there be valuable synergies? Can planning cross-border programmes and the programme or project objectives projects. Many of the core problems be better achieved jointly than if the of the border region do not respect jurisdictions acted separately? jurisdictional boundaries. Just as many of these core problems are multi- In summary, the proposed cooperative faceted, actions taken to address cross-border activities should have a them – whether social, economic or greater effect than would be the case environmental – are likely to result in a if the jurisdictions acted separately. combination of social, economic and These effects might be directly related environmental impacts. This Toolkit to the specific objectives of the will assist in ensuring that the most programme or project, or they could significant of these impacts are captured be additional benefits (expected or and valued. Crucially, however, it will also unexpected) arising specifically from the identify the added value that has come process of cooperation. Cooperation about as a result of the cooperation and partnerships based on mutual process itself: for instance, the benefits exchange of experiences should derived from developing new cross- produce real interaction which promotes border relationships and new ways of the achievement of shared objectives working that contribute to the cohesion and leads to a final result that differs and sustainability of the region. qualitatively from the sum of the several activities undertaken at the level of the Cross-border impact assessment two jurisdictions. assists programme and project planners in thinking through the consequences Cross-border impact assessment is of their proposals. The Toolkit offers a a practical method to assist people guide through this process, helping to

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 51 clarify and define the cross-border policy project. It is increasingly accepted that challenge under consideration and to it can be difficult to attribute changes analyse the case for intervention. to the actions of a particular project or programme in the context of a myriad In the past, many people with of social, economic, environmental responsibility for delivering cross- and other factors that may be acting to border programmes and projects have different degrees and in different ways. found it relatively easy to demonstrate It is also increasingly recognised that what they have done. Success has not only is the attribution of impacts been judged on the basis of activities a problem, but that impacts are measured through the use of output particularly hard to measure, and may indicators. Demonstrating impact – the not be identified until long after the actual change that has taken place project or programme has come to as an outcome of these activities – is an end. more problematic. There is a growing consensus that the effective evaluation Conventional approaches to impact of the impacts of an intervention or analysis using a logical framework group of interventions is not possible (e.g. output leading to results during the lifetime of the programme or leading to impacts) have also been

52 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 criticised because impacts of regional uses the ‘intervention logic’ of the development projects and programmes proposed project or programme. If are the product of internal as well this intervention logic is coherent, the as external factors – and their inter- objectives will flow directly from the core relations. So, for example, a highly problem that has been identified, with innovative and well-implemented specific objectives directly addressing training programme in a region (an the effects of tackling the core problem internal factor) could be evaluated to bring about the change needed. to have had limited success as an The type of intervention chosen (i.e. intervention designed to address high the policy approach) should directly unemployment among a marginalised address the causes of the core problem. group because of external factors For instance, if the core problem such as the effects of the national is high unemployment, it might be and international recession on overall more appropriate for some cross- employment opportunities. It is often border actors to take different policy difficult to identify clear, obvious approaches – job creation schemes, relationships. Impact chains emerge as benefits for the unemployed or training part of a dense set of actors which can courses – to address the problem, exert influence on the various elements depending on their remits of a programme or project and be and resources. mutually influenced by them. It can also be difficult to isolate the effects of a Consideration should be given as to project or programme.7 whether a cross-border intervention is more appropriate or effective than Besides, it is very tempting to claim intervention in a single jurisdiction observable impacts, regardless or ‘back-to-back’ interventions, and whether the project/programme under how well the proposed actions will question has actually contributed to operationalise the chosen policy their achievement. This is particularly approach. The impacts that are tempting in the case of higher-level expected to occur as a result of objectives, where contributions implementing the policy approach of single factors are easy to claim (including indirect, negative and but difficult to (dis)prove (i.e. the unintended impacts) should be contribution of a training measure considered, including whether these to increase employment in a given impacts are proportionate to the scale territory). Or in the case of long impact of the proposed intervention. Finally, it chains, where causes and effects are is important that the indicators capture rather distant from each other, either the most important social, economic, in time or in functional relations.8 environmental and cooperation impacts and are consistent with the general and Intervention logic specific objectives. The relative strength and consistency of the intervention logic For these reasons, the cross- will determine to what extent the project border impact assessment process or programme will be more or less likely

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 53 Figure 1 The EU’s new Logical Framework

to contribute to the desired change. It Toolkit is, despite some differences in will reflect the extent to which project or terminology, consistent with this programme objectives are consistent revised approach, as illustrated in the with the desired change. figure below:

New evaluation guidelines from the The core elements of the Toolkit EU Commission address precisely this methodology are presented as six issue and have revised their terminology Key Analytical Steps for Cross-Border accordingly. While continuing to define Impact Assessment (each of these impact as ‘the change that can be sections is colour-coded): credibly attributed to an intervention’, 1. Identifying the problems of the evaluation will focus on the contribution cross-border territory of the policy, programme or project 2. Defining general and specific to results, defined as ‘the specific objectives dimension of the well-being of people 3. Identifying and choosing cross- that motivates policy action, i.e. that border policy approaches and policy is expected to be modified by the instruments/actions interventions designed and implemented 4. Identifying expected impacts by a policy.’ The term ‘outcome’ 5. Choosing and developing captures the concept in English. In appropriate indicators other EU languages the term ‘result’ is 6. Designing an appropriate monitoring synonymous with outcome. The CCBS and evaluation framework

54 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The six steps are illustrated in the number of ‘guiding questions’ to help above graphic. At the start of each clarify the project’s focus and rationale. step, there is a short overview to Some of these questions are generic explain what that stage of the cross questions; others are specifically border impact assessment means, focused on identifying and measuring and directions about how to apply the added value of cross-border the methodology to the proposed cooperation. At each step, there is an programme or project. These example based on a hypothetical instructions are supported by a project.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 55 A group of cross border cooperators from Tajikistan photographed outside Strasbourg Cathedral. They were attending a joint training programme run by the Centre for Cross Border Studies and the Euro Institut in neighbouring Kehl in February 2013

The Toolkit also sets out the policy Factory project supporting micro- contexts for cross-border cooperation businesses; and the environmental in respect of both the European Union project, Controlling Priority Invasive Non- and the particular circumstances of Native Riparian Plants and Restoring the island of Ireland post the 1998 Native Bio-Diversity. Agreement. It goes on to discuss the use of impact assessment in a cross- The Toolkit is the first in a series of tools border context and to explain in detail that are being developed by CCBS what is meant by the added value of that are intended to support cross- cross-border cooperation. Three case border projects at each stage of the studies applying the cross-border project ‘life cycle’: from project design, impact assessment methodology to through management, implementation, real life cross-border projects funded monitoring to post-project evaluation. under the INTERREG IVA Programme Recently the Centre has commenced and a summary of the core problems of work – along with the Euro Institut and the region are also included. The case other partners in the Transfrontier Euro- studies are the ConneXions project for Institute Network (TEIN) – on a two-year people with disabilities; the Innovation project funded by the EU Leonardo

56 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Programme. This will produce a new This is the first time that the Impact capacity-building tool in cross-border Assessment approach of the European project management with a focus on Commission has been applied in a the particular challenges of inter-cultural cross-border context. By developing exchanges. Over the next two years, a fourth pillar, which directly tries to CCBS will itself be developing two new identify and capture the specific cross- tools: a Budget Toolkit for Cross-Border border cooperation impacts (mostly not Projects and an Evaluation Toolkit for captured by the existing EU indicators), Cross-Border Projects. Funded as part the Toolkit offers a new perspective of a larger INTERREG IVA portfolio of on how to capture the added value projects, these tools will be developed of cross-border cooperation projects in partnership with Pobal and the Euro and programmes. As it was explained Institut in 2013-2015. during the 2011 Cavan conference by the representative of DG Regio, this Since the launch of the Toolkit in meets a concern of the Commission for October 2011, its methodology has the future: how to better demonstrate been presented at a number of meetings the value added and the durability and seminars in different European of cross-border cooperation policy cities organised by INTERACT, the body approaches. Thus the Toolkit is not only that supports Managing Authorities a pilot for the Irish context but for other and Joint Technical Secretariats from cross border territories in Europe.10 all the European Territorial Cooperation programmes. It has also been presented Ruth Taillon is Director Designate at a European Social Fund (ESF) of the Centre for Cross Border Learning Networks event, bringing Studies and led the Irish-German together Managing Authorities and team that developed the Impact Joint Technical Secretariats for ESF Assessment Toolkit for Cross- programmes. As noted above, meetings Border Cooperation. The other two have taken place with senior officials of members were the Director of the the EU Commission’s DG Regio, and Euro-Institut, Dr Joachim Beck, and in January 2013 the Centre and the its Assistant for Studies, Sebastian Euro Institut delivered training based Rihm. The Centre is offering training on the Toolkit (funded by the British and mentoring in applying the and German governments) to a group Toolkit methodology as well as of cross-border actors working on the support to cross-border projects Tajikistan/Afghanistan border. through new budget and evaluation toolkits. Further information The success of the Impact Assessment from Ruth at [email protected] Toolkit for Cross Border Cooperation or +44-28-3751-1559/1550. The was summed up by Indecon Economic Impact Assessment Toolkit for Consultants, the evaluators of the Cross-Border Cooperation can Centre’s 2009-2012 EU-funded research be downloaded from the Centre’s programme, in the following words: website: www.crossborder.ie (under Publications).

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 57 ENDNOTES

1. The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) was established under the Belfast/ Good Friday Agreement (1998) and comprises Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, working together to take forward co- operation between both parts of the island to mutual benefit.

2. The Agreement (1998), http://www.nio.gov.uk/agreement.pdf

3. Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006, Official Journal of the European Union, 31.7.2006. 4. European Commission, Europe 2020 Strategy.

5. DG Regio, http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/archive/consultation/terco/index_ en.htm

6. Joachim Beck, 'Lessons from an Institute for Cross-Border Cooperation on the Franco-German Border', Journal of Cross-border Studies in Ireland, No. 3, Spring 2008.

7. Hummelbrunner, Richard, Wolf Huber, Roland Arbter. Process Monitoring of Impacts: Towards a new approach to monitor the implementation of Structural Fund Programmes.

8. Ibid.

9. The Programming Period 2014-2020. Monitoring and Evaluation of European Cohesion Policy – European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund – Guidance Document, European Commission, Directorate General Regional and Urban Policy, November 2012

10. Indecon International Economic Consultants in association with London Economics, Final Evaluation Report of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Cross- Border Cooperation Observatory (INICCO), April 2012.

58 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 CHARTING A FUTURE PATH FOR ARCHAEOLOGY IN IRELAND, NORTH AND SOUTH

Gabriel Cooney

At the end of November 2012 the Northern Ireland Archaeological Forum organised a seminar in Downpatrick, Co. Down on the theme: ‘Increasing the value of Northern Ireland’s archaeology to the public.’ The title of the seminar directly posed the challenge that at present archaeology (and those responsible for it) are not maximising the value it could have for Gabriel Cooney wider society. This is unlikely to happen unless we consider the future of archaeology, and purposefully think and plan carefully about how we can achieve that objective. In turn this has implications for archaeological practice and the profession in Ireland (North and South), and indeed has been recognised as a challenge for archaeology internationally.

Historically there have been strong interesting character, as the Historic cross-border links in the practice of Monuments and Archaeological archaeology. Some of those links go Objects Order (NI) 1995 is both specific back before the border was established to Northern Ireland but also shares (for example the initial 19th century features with both the Republic of monuments legislation). More particularly Ireland’s National Monuments Act and they reflect continued close professional broader UK legislation. cross-border ties that were formally recognised when the Irish Association My own position as an archaeologist of Professional Archaeologists (IAPA) based in University College Dublin’s was established in the 1970s and which School of Archaeology and current continues to underpin the all-island chair of the Historic Monuments Council ethos of the body that succeeded it, of Northern Ireland provides both a the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland personal perspective on these issues (IAI). The Archaeology Committee of the and also a context for raising important Royal Irish Academy has representation questions: Is a comparison and contrast from both jurisdictions. Archaeological of the current state of archaeology North legislation in Northern Ireland has an and South useful? Would an all-island

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 59 perspective help in increasing public The island's economic travails have appreciation and awareness of the had a major impact on the profession, value of archaeology? The last question particularly on archaeologists who might be more carefully parsed in the worked in the planning-led sector. following way: should archaeologists Contraction in public and private building and historians recognise the need to and infrastuctural projects has led to consider the past, and the historic a dramatic reduction in the number of environment that is the result of it, in an professional archaeologists, the closure all-island context? of some private consultancies and a significant downsizing of others. A Indeed at a European level little cross- survey of the archaeological profession border differentiation is recognised. in 2007 estimated that there were about What has been frequently highlighted 1800 archaeologists employed (120 in as a distinctive feature of Ireland is the the North, and an extraordinary 1700 in richness and diversity of the record the South). Estimates vary but by 2012 of monuments, sites and historic this appears to have dropped drastically landscapes across the island, in stark to around 300-400 on the island, with contrast to many other parts of north- the great bulk of the decrease in west Europe. The key question then the South. becomes how can we increase public awareness of and benefit from the value That is the headline picture but it of this rich record of material remains misses out a number of key factors. It of the past in Northern Ireland and the was long-term government investment Republic of Ireland today? in both the Republic and Northern Ireland in compiling comprehensive From boom to bust records of sites and monuments, along with recognition of the social value Without going into too much detail, of this resource and its linkage to the it is relevant to consider the recent planning system, that was the basis past of archaeological practice in for recognition of the need to mitigate Ireland. The decade from the mid- the impact of development on the 1990s to mid-2000s was a time of archaeological resource of the island. extraordinary change. This was due A profile of the profession carried out in to the increasing pace of economic 2001 on behalf of IAPA indicated that and infrastructural development and the growth evident even at that time was investment (in the North helped by a really not sustainable in the long-term. peace dividend) and saw an explosion But, unfortunately, just as the rapid in archaeological excavation. This began increase in archaeological activity was earlier in the Republic but happened at linked to the cresting economic wave, a concomitant scale in Northern Ireland. the decline has been similarly dramatic It has been followed by a dramatic as the economy contracted. decrease in activity, especially in the Republic. What has been gained, however, is a unique record of human activity from

60 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Archeologists excavating Drumclay Crannog, near Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh earliest times captured in the form reports; A Review of Research Needs of excavation archives, most of it in Irish Archaeology (The Heritage excavated and recorded to a scientific Council); Archaeology in Ireland: A Vision quality far surpassing that of earlier for the Future (Royal Irish Academy) excavations. This is the great resource and Archaeology 2020: Repositioning and outcome from that decade of Ireland in the Knowledge Society (UCD/ activity. Archaeological fieldwork is The Heritage Council). This planning ongoing, albeit at a much slower pace, was also evident in the formation of as planning–led investigation of the the Northern Ireland Archaeological historic environment continues: for Forum, a lobby group which aims to example at the Drumclay crannog site protect, study and promote the historic on the A32 Cherrymount link road near environment, and to raise political and Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, which public awareness of its importance. illustrates the potential of wetland sites, because of the extraordinary Not surprisingly there was a degree preservation of organic remains, to of consensus across the three reports provide a window on life in the past. in terms of what was required in terms of key recommendations. In the It is easy to forget too that there was a Archaeology 2020 report focus was concentrated effort in the middle of the put on three enabling measures: firstly, first decade of the twenty first century partnership across the sector and to plan strategically for the future of profession (North and South); secondly, Irish archaeology on an all-island basis the need to address the publication which led to the publication of three and dissemination of archaeological

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 61 knowledge, and finally, research funding the implementation of the European that would specifically build research Landscape Convention (ELC) which value into excavation data and stimulate came into force in Ireland in 2004 (and in partnership, collaboration and the the UK in 2007). best use of resources. This was to be realised in the form of INSTAR, the Wider contexts Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research programme which, through So where are we now? In spring projects such as Cultivating Societies, 2011 the Heritage Council hosted The People of Prehistoric Ireland and the a workshop on the archaeological Early Medieval Archaeological Project profession in Ireland and this led to the – all collaborative North-South projects drafting of an Archaeological Strategic (details can be found on the INSTAR Plan (September 2011). The Institute project database on the Heritage of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI) has Council website) – has transformed formulated a three-year strategic plan our understanding of key aspects of for the profession on the island. There Ireland’s past. has been cross-party political interest in solving the current unsatisfactory One of the recommendations of the position about archaeological archives in Royal Irish Academy report was a Northern Ireland (where all the material consolidation of the Republic’s National from recent excavations is held by Monuments Acts. Following a review by private archaeological consultancies), an expert panel under the auspices of including discussion in the NI Assembly. the then Department of Environment, There has been a recognition of the Heritage and Local Government, a need for built heritage expertise in the National Monuments Bill is due for newly established Marine Division of publication and consideration in 2013. the Department of the Environment in However, in reality the driver for this Northern Ireland, in line with the UK review and new legislation was the implementation of the European view of John Gormley, the Minister of Marine Directive. that Department from 2007-2011, that the site-based focus of the current Two recent reports published legislation had failed in the protection respectively by the Department of the of the archaeological resource, notably Environment (NI) and the Heritage in cases such as the impact of the M3 Council quantify the economic on the wider Tara landscape in County impacts that can be attributed to Meath. This focus on a landscape- Northern Ireland’s and the Republic based approach can be further seen in of Ireland’s historic environment. the compilation and public consultation This value has been underplayed on a Draft Landscape Strategy (NLS) by and under-appreciated. At a time of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the scarce public resources, establishing Gaeltacht in 2011. The development economic impacts is a critical step of a NLS is one of the commitments towards greater understanding of the in the 2007 Fianna Fail/Green Party need for regular investment, and to Programme for Government, in line with realise more fully the potential value

62 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 of Ireland’s unique heritage assets. In Department of Arts, Heritage and recognising ‘sightseers and culture the Gaeltacht, and the Built Heritage seekers’ as Ireland’s best opportunity Directorate of NIEA) was arguably higher for tourism growth, Tourism Ireland than the overall cut within the relevant explicitly acknowledges that the culture departments. The INSTAR research and history of the island, the range fund – with grants allocated to research of historical and cultural attractions teams based both in the South and the and attractive cities and towns are North – dedicated to making the results cumulatively the most important factor of development-led archaeological that attracts visitors. excavations accessible to a wide audience (and described in a recent UK However, it would have to be said that report as an ‘inspired initiative’) has been the prevailing mood music is one of reduced to €50,000 per annum, in effect ‘keeping calm and hanging on’. For providing enough funding for just one example much of the attention of the project to continue. This contrasts to Heritage Council over the last year has the initial allocation of €1 million to this been focused on making the case for its programme in 2008. continued independent role and status under a critical review of state bodies In such ways we are decreasing both undertaken by the Department of Arts, the ability to assess and manage the Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This has impact of changes on heritage, and only recently been confirmed. There is to realise and transmit its public value a disconnect between the perceived through research and communication. value of heritage, its role as a potential In relation to government funding economic driver (a specific feature within the broad heritage/environment of Minister Alex Atwood’s philosophy area, one key trend that needs to be and approach as the current Northern identified and discussed is an effective Minister of the Environment) and the shift in resources from the protection apparent decreased investment in and and management of the built heritage political concern for it. to the natural environment (although there has been significant investment in Part of the difficulty is that heritage is specific built heritage-related projects). such a broad topic, encompassing both The reality is that non-compliance with the natural and the built environment. At European directives has very serious a time of severe economic constraint, financial implications for governments, built heritage often appears to be seen while compliance with national cultural as a soft option. It can be perceived heritage laws does not. For example, as static, unchanging and secure, this has resulted in the re-deployment when in reality it is constantly changing of professional archaeologists from and in need of active conservation. the National Monuments Service In recent budgets the rate of decline to the National Parks and Wildlife in funding for the built heritage areas Service within the Department of in both jurisdictions (through the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. then Department of the Environment, Reading the publication Our Passion, Heritage and Local Government, now Our Place: NIEA Strategic Priorities

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 63 2012-22, one has the impression that primarily used in the Republic, but that the key performance indicators for has equal relevance in an all-island natural heritage are more stringent, context: the BMW – Border Midland clearly defined and require consistent West (as well as the South-West) region. input of resources compared to the commitments to the built heritage. In relation to the spend on and perception of the built heritage and Irish heritage 2016-2022 historic environment, it could be suggested that there will be declining Now while this may be painting a bleak funding for voluntary, community picture (which might be contested), and non-governmental organisations it is also worth thinking about how it and a growing contradiction within may evolve in the short-term future. government funding and strategy which In its contribution to the National will focus on heritage tourism (including Landscape Strategy, the Heritage the ‘decade of commemorations’ of Council suggested that one could 1912-22) – to attract the ‘sightseers and imagine the Ireland of 2016-2022 culture seekers’ – but will see declining as having a number of features. The investment in management, protection predictions for agriculture in the Food and conservation. A particular challenge Harvest 2020 strategic plan suggest a in the latter areas in Northern Ireland 33% increase in the value of primary will be around the deployment and output. A more nuanced reading of this location of expertise in the built heritage with reference to agriculture in both following the enactment of the Reform jurisdictions is that large, commercial- of Public Administration (RPA) and an as scale agricultural operations are likely yet undefined heritage role of a smaller to become increasingly profitable, with number of enlarged local authorities. farm amalgamations, changing patterns of land ownership, marginalisation and One potential external driver of change extensification of smaller farm holdings. that might have an impact on the Development pressure and construction policy landscape of the future is the will take place using green (and not so current development at European level green) energy. of a Joint Programme Initiative (JPI): ‘Cultural Heritage and Global Change: This is likely to lend support to the a New Challenge for Europe’. This is Futures Academy (Dublin Institute one of a number of JPIs that will have of Technology) vision of a two-zone a major impact on the strategy and Ireland: intensive economic enterprise direction of the next round of European and an increasingly urbanised society research funding, and it demonstrates concentrated in an eastern zone, with the perceived importance of heritage for the Dublin-Belfast corridor as an iconic European society. It has key objectives economic driver, and a western zone including the building of greater value with a greater focus on tourism and by creating greater linkages and inter- related activities. This latter zone we operability between national databases could call by a name that has been and research, and aligning research

64 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8

with other policies at European level. The reality is that the state tends to Whether it has the capacity to bring focus on the facilitation of economic about a greater political investment in development rather than the imperative cultural heritage at national level remains to create public value. Commenting on to be seen. the Southport report from a Northern Ireland perspective, Dr Philip Macdonald Back to the future has identified key issues that could be read as an agenda for the future in both Considering the future path of parts of the island: the need to create archaeology in Ireland, North and opportunities for the public to engage South, in terms of greater public with archaeological activity; the need to value, there has been a useful recent publish the spectacular discoveries from discussion in the Southport Group development-led excavation in formats Report in England (compiled by a think that will be widely read and valued; tank of archaeologists from across the and the provision for storage, profession) and its recommendations on long-term curation and access to developing the benefits of planning-led archaeological archives. investigation of the historic environment in that country. Achievement of that agenda will require significant mindset and policy changes, Reflecting on this from the perspective and I think we sometimes forget of practice in the Republic of Ireland, that these human resources are the I have made the point that there are fundamentals that underlie the effective significant differences between the deployment and use of economic centralised legislative and operational resources. In relation to Northern system that obtains in the Republic Ireland, Macdonald makes the point (and Northern Ireland) and the situation that a key change would be a revision of in England. For example, licencing Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning of excavation in Ireland means that Archaeology and the Built Heritage so there are contractual arrangements that it has a focus on dissemination between the state, the developer and publication, long-term curation of and the archaeologist. In theory this archives and public participation (on the should make easier the implementation other hand it could be argued that this of the key principle of the Southport aspiration could be achieved through report: namely the need to move from a major revision of the archaeological ideas of mitigation and preservation excavation licensing arrangements). to the recognition of the requirement A similar ethos is proposed in the to ‘offset’ any losses of significance consolidated National Monuments Bill to monuments, sites and buildings by in the Republic, along with a greater equivalent gains in terms of enhancing focus on a landscape-based approach. understanding of the past and to make The archive resource centre at Swords, these gains publicly available, through close to Dublin, being jointly developed publications and engaging the public by the National Museum of Ireland with the process of investigation. and the National Monuments Service

66 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Children playing at the Navan Fort in Armagh of the Department of Arts, Heritage which is a critical and technical and the Gaeltacht, has the potential shorthand for professional practice has to provide an integrated (records and made it more more difficult to engage in material) archive, and to provide a useful a meaningful way with the public. model in the ongoing debate about archaeological archives in Northern Even more fundamentally, as the Ireland and the lack of capacity in the Southport report reminds us, research museum sector for curating and quality has to be at the heart excavation archives. of what planning-led archaeological work is about, or else it is simply an This future will also require a responsive empty tick boxing enterprise. This is public service that is flexible and focused particularly important when there is so on creating public value and identifying much pressure on ‘value for money’. trends in international best practice. This has encouraged the ‘lowest However could I suggest that there price wins’ approach to planning- are two mindsets that we also need to led investigation. If we are to plan a examine? Firstly, the licencing system better future for archaeology, then the both South and North has been a very regulatory authorities need to regulate important bulwark of the professional rather than simply licence. And their status of archaeologists, and indeed parent departments have to be willing excavation has become the public face to engage with the issue of the quality of archaeology. But it could be argued and research value of the work being that the development of a vocabulary undertaken. Why should the assessment

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 67 of quality and reputation – the ability to Monuments and Places (RoI). With do the job well, to involve the public and the current availability and enormous publish the results – not be a specific potential of digital technology, minimal part of the contract process? investment could create a link between these databases to increase their value The question of creating value as a data source, without impacting on the integrity of either database. There are many aspects of the island’s built heritage that demonstrate a shared Indeed, returning to the question of history over the past 10,000 years. archaeological archives, one way of There are a number of areas which maximising the value of public and could provide a focus for cross-border private investment in excavations cooperation and ‘easy wins’ on which carried out during the economic boom to build. For a start, there currently would be to create a virtual repository appears to be little or no regular contact of archaeological archives which would between the Built Heritage Directorate link the developing archive resource of the NI Environment Agency and centre in Swords with whatever emerges the National Monuments Service/ from current discussions involving Architectural Protection and Heritage the Departments of Environment and Policy sections of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure about future Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (or provision for archaeological archives in with the Heritage Service of the Office Northern Ireland. of Public Works). This is an area where immediate action could be taken to The Heritage Council in the Republic, look at current programmes of work through the network of heritage and to explore potential synergies and officers working in local authorities, areas of co-operation: for example, a has been exploring the development of joint survey of the Carlingford Lough a ‘Heritage Viewer’, linking data from area could have a number of benefits, over 200 datasets across the built not least in the development of the and natural heritage. Some of these Cooley Peninsula/Mourne Mountains as datasets already have an all-island basis. a major cross-border visitor destination An extended programme could be (something that will be greatly facilitated developed on an island basis, providing by the construction of a new road bridge users with a unique insight into Ireland’s across the lough, largely funded by the built heritage and its wider context. EU, in 2013-2015). Perhaps the most powerful global At present, if local and international heritage brand is World Heritage, and ‘sightseers and culture seekers’ are the inscription of sites with outstanding looking for details of particular aspects universal value on the World Heritage of Ireland’s built heritage, such as List. The Republic of Ireland has an megalithic tombs, they have to consult active World Heritage programme. the Monuments and Buildings Record One of the sites on its new Tentative (NI) or the Register of Recorded List (2010) for potential nomination for

68 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 inscription at some point is the multi- locational or serial Royal Sites of Ireland. Reviewing submissions for inclusion on the UK’s new Tentative List (2010), the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in London indicated that the application of Navan (Emain Macha) in Armagh for inclusion should be driven forward by means of a transnational nomination in the context of the Republic’s Royal Sites. Armagh City and District Council have been actively promoting the development of Navan (Emain Macha) as its premier visitor attraction, with the attainment of World Heritage status as the ultimate goal. There is an excellent opportunity to build on existing official cross-border support for this important initiative.

The Royal Sites concept indicates the potential of an all-island thematic The portal tomb at Proleek, Co Louth, part of approach to heritage. Indeed many the major cluster of megalithic tombs in Cooley ‘sightseers’ and ‘home stayers’ plan and the Mournes with a particular theme or interest in mind such as Christian heritage or to such monuments on either side of megalithic tombs. There is potential the jurisdictional boundary could act as here to provide thematic ‘trails’ or a catalyst to help boost rural economies ‘threads’ that lead the visitor across in the border region. the island rather than stopping at the border. Examples of such trails could Engaging with the past include megalithic tomb builders, St Patrick’s Trail or the walled towns of There is nothing very startling about Ireland. Monuments in state ownership what has been said above. What I am or guardianship (190 State Care suggesting is that we work with what Monuments in Northern Ireland and we have – an enormously rich and more than 700 National Monuments diverse material record documenting in the Republic of Ireland) are valuable the human settlement of the island of heritage assets in terms of both Ireland over the last 10,000 years – to their diversity and wide geographical provide us with a better sense of the spread, and as potential foci for such value of who we are. Archaeology and tourist trails. Currently access to and the built heritage provide us with both presentation of many of these sites are the challenge and opportunities to poor. For example, a focused approach actively engage with our history through

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 69 surveys, excavations, community archaeology and exhibitions to understand and present the past from different perspectives. In relation to important periods or events – whether the Plantations of the 17th century or the multiple events that led to the establishment of the Free State (and ultimately the Republic of Ireland) and Northern Ireland in 1922 (around which so much has been written, analysed and mythologised) – engaging with the direct physical remains provides the chance to understand and commemorate how people created the pasts that we live with today.

Gabriel Cooney, originally from County Louth, is Professor of Celtic Archaeology in the School of Archaeology, University College Dublin. He is the Chairperson of the Historic Monuments Council of Northern Ireland and a member of the Heritage Council in the Republic of Ireland. In 2008 he was Academic Secretary for the 6th World Archaeological Congress held in Dublin with over 1800 participants.

70 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 THE NEWRY-DUNDALK ‘TWIN CITY’ REGION: 10 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER ACTION

Pat McArdle

Although the idea had been proposed earlier, the 2006 Buchanan Report1 was the first attempt to make the case for the creation of a ‘twin city’ region centred on Newry and Dundalk which would be of sufficient critical mass to attract investment, secure economic benefits and become a destination in its own right. While Buchanan had many successors, its Pat McArdle recommendations still provide the basic template for the proposal.

The Buchanan Report of its 'frontier' status. As transport infrastructure, for example, improves, Buchanan’s main drawback was the bringing Belfast and Dublin closer lack of public sector involvement in together, the risk for the intervening its commissioning and oversight, settlements of Newry and Dundalk something which still bedevils the is that they will be physically and region to the advantage of the North psychologically bypassed. West (Derry-Donegal), where the need is perceived to be greater and which, The main issues identified by Buchanan accordingly, receives a more intense were:2 public policy focus. • A negative perception related to the historic ‘frontier status’ of the region; Buchanan was conscious of the scale • Two currencies with a floating of the challenge and at the outset noted exchange rate, the principal barrier that: to cross-border activity; • Two VAT regimes and therefore extra The region suffers from a range of administration costs; structural problems. It has arguably • Differing excise duty regimes; not benefited from the 'success' of the • Distortion effects of differences in cities at either end of the corridor and corporate and personal taxation; is often negatively perceived in terms • Complexity in national insurance

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.7 71 and social security for cross-border recommendations included: employees; • Problems around the recognition • Promote all island policies for and comparability of qualifications; industrial development, skills, energy • Cross-border variations in wages, and planning, and maximise inter- taxation, transportation and housing agency cooperation and funding; costs; • A cross-border Economic • Polarised attitudes and mindsets; Development Forum to plan • Lack of symmetry in environmental initiatives, compile a common management policy between North database, brand the ‘twin city’ and South; initiative and focus on ‘quality of life’, • Mismatch in local authority functions, telecommunications and waste; different areas of responsibility and • Get governments to address the ways of working; currency fluctuation issue and • Above average overall and long-term facilitate the use of both currencies unemployment; in the region; • High proportions in dependent age • Develop a tourism sub-brand for the groups; region; • Lower proportions in services and • Progress the proposed Greencastle corresponding greater dependency to Greenore ferry; on agriculture and manufacturing; • Address skills deficits via Dundalk • Over- reliance on the retail industry Institute of Technology (DKIT) and as a source of employment; Newry Institute (NI) programmes • Below-average graduate education and establish mutual recognition of levels. teacher qualifications; • Scope a cross-border ‘national These weaknesses are common to ‘park’ covering the Mournes, Cooley the whole Irish cross-border region, and the Ring of Gullion; and some of the more fundamental • Promote administrative co-operation ones, such as differential taxation between Louth County Council, and exchange rates, are unlikely to Newry and Mourne District Council disappear. They stem from the existence and Dundalk Town Council. of two separate policy regimes which • Integrate waste collection and meet at the border. For example, as disposal. long as the UK and the Republic have separate exchange rate regimes, The ICLRD Report the euro-sterling rate will continue to fluctuate, occasionally favouring one Whereas the Buchanan Report was side, then the other. essentially a private sector undertaking, the 2009 report of the International The Buchanan Report concluded Centre for Local and Regional with an extensive analysis on ‘what Development (ICLRD)3 had significant needed to be done’. Its ambitious public sector involvement. It was overseen by a steering committee

72 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 chaired by InterTradeIreland and carried local officials, civic leaders and the out by spatial planners from the ICLRD, private sector, all working in a dynamic University of Ulster and the National partnership to implement an agreed Institute for Regional and Spatial agenda. Analysis at NUI Maynooth. The steering committee included representatives The report noted that: from various cross-border bodies and government departments, North Evidence clearly indicates that, for and South. a sub-region to attract significant domestic and international investment, it The ICLRD Report emphasised that must contain at least one city-region of a successful cross-border regional sufficient size to appeal to the higher- strategy requires the involvement of value segments of the business chain. central government departments in These require access to sizeable pools both jurisdictions as well as that of of suitably qualified workers, adequate

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JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 73 supporting infrastructure, and good- a successful application for funds to quality public and commercial services. the EU INTERREG programme made. As regards urban regeneration, a Newry and Dundalk needed to think Newry Master Plan has been drafted, a and act regionally if they were to Dundalk BIDS company established and compete in this market place. With the Dundalk Market Square refurbished. urban populations of 28,000 and 35,000 respectively, neither had the critical Progress has been made in cross- mass to (separately) compete in the border co-operation and the Dundalk- global economy. Newry region is now an examplar with the signing of the Joint Memorandum The ICLRD proposed four equally of Understanding between Newry and ambitious projects: Mourne District Council and Louth Local • A Centre of Excellence to create a Authorities in 2011. Louth is also one sustainable energy community; of the best examples of self-help on the • A Newry-Dundalk International island. It has a long history of innovative Services Zone targeting high value- initiatives, notably the work of the added internationally traded services Louth Economic Forum and the use of including back office functions and development levies to attract investment HQs; and create jobs. Over £17 million has • Proposals to safeguard the been obtained from INTERREG to geological assets and natural build a new bridge across Carlingford resources of the Mournes, Cooleys, Lough at Narrow Water. However the Slieve Gullion, and Carlingford more ambitious proposals by Buchanan Lough, and to develop their tourism and the ICLRD, which require major potential; governmental assistance and funding, • A coordinated regeneration strategy have taken a back seat. for older areas in Newry and Dundalk. Moreover, it has taken time to put private sector cooperation in place. Progress on these has been mixed. Unlike in comparable regions in other While Newry and Dundalk are each parts of Europe – notably those along progressing sustainable energy projects the German-French, German-Dutch – with Dundalk’s Sustainable Energy and German-Danish borders – there Zone and 2020 Initiative particular is no historic tradition of cross-border success stories – and some of the cooperation in Ireland and each initiative lessons learned in Dundalk are being has to be painstakingly assembled. rolled out in test format in Newry, there is little or no government funding in Though Newry and Dundalk have been the latter area. Moreover, the proposed divided by the border for less than a international services zone had to be century, the folk memory of cross-border deferred due to the economic crisis. co-operation appears to have been lost On the ‘geo-park’ tourism initiative, an and its restoration will take time. infrastructure has been established and

74 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 A product of the balance of coercion and overlap, resulting in unnecessary between Britain and nationalist Ireland duplication of effort5. in 1920, the partition of Ireland installed an erratic and meandering international If the public sector did not deliver in boundary of 450km, cross-cutting times of plenty, the prospects of it doing 1,400 agricultural holdings and 180 so in the current more austere fiscal roads, and bisecting villages and even circumstances are questionable. some individual houses. Ethno-national minorities were left stranded on either The McArdle Report side. Over the next 50 years, this improbable boundary was to endure, Buchanan recommended an and was consolidated by the Second ‘economic forum’ to oversee the World War and the different evolution of preparation and maintenance of a both national states4. comprehensive database of robust, comparable indicators on the status and The Louth Economic Forum dates from performance of the key sectors of the 2009 while the Joint Memorandum is cross-border regional economy, while even more recent. It is, thus, too early to the ICLRD stated that ‘common data assess their impact which, in any event, sets are needed for collaborative local- would not be evident in the 2006 census level decision-making’. data analysed in the McArdle Report (see below). It will need the results of The difficulty in making cross-border the 2011 censuses in both jurisdictions, comparisons is highlighted by the currently being analysed, before a full discrepancies in the trade statistics, objective assessment is possible. which, on the face of it, should be at the more straightforward and reliable end Having said that, there are limits to of the scale. However, an investigation what can be achieved in the absence by InterTradeIreland, published in 2009, of greater central government and concluded: public sector support. At official level, the results of the St Andrews In aggregate, the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Agreement review of the cross-border Revenue & Customs), DETI (Department Implementation Bodies and Areas of Enterprise and Investment) and for Co-operation, which were due in CSO (Central Statistics Office) series 2008, are still awaited. There has also on cross-border trade bear little been criticism of the multiplicity and resemblance in either absolute level, complexity of cross-border bodies, time profile or growth. In terms of North for example the following quote from to South trade, in particular, the series businessman Tom Noonan, then have little in common, suggesting either President of IBEC, in 2010: a stable picture (CSO), steady growth (DETI) or rapid growth (HMRC)6.” The effectiveness of these programmes is compromised by undue fragmentation Beyond the trade data, most of the statistics one would expect are simply

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 75 not available. In practice, there has been Deprivation in Northern Ireland been little or no progress on this basic requirement identified by both Buchanan Measures of deprivation attempt and ICLRD, and without robust to capture and summarise the key statistics, it has been hard to make a elements which make life demonstrably compelling case for a Newry-Dundalk better or worse relative to other economic zone. communities. They have been used in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. On the ground, however, there was a growing feeling that Dundalk and Newry The NI deprivation measures have seven were not getting their fair share of the main elements or ‘domains’. These are ‘fruits of the boom’ and that the fears income, employment, health, education, expressed by Buchanan might be all proximity to services, living environment too true. and crime and disorder. The income score, for example, is the percentage Against this background, Louth County of individuals living in households in Council and Newry and Mourne District receipt of income related benefits and Council, in conjunction with their tax credits. These domains are then respective Chambers of Commerce, weighted to arrive at an overall Multiple commissioned a further study7, to Deprivation Measure (MDM) for various ‘evaluate and create a compelling report sub-divisions within Northern Ireland. In to frame the clear imperatives and practice, there is a very close correlation policy recommendations necessary to between the income score and the establish a Cross Border Zone that will overall MDM and we relied primarily on ensure the Zone enjoys accelerated the income statistics. growth and engineers economic catch- up in a sustainable manner across the Newry border, all to our mutual advantage.’ This was carried out by the author of The income deprivation measure for this article. each electoral ward was weighted by its population to derive a summary measure The emphasis on the need to accelerate for deprivation in Newry. The results are growth and engineer economic catch- shown in Table 1. up pre-supposed the existence of an inequality or lack of development whose Table 1 - Newry Income Deprivation eradication was an objective to be achieved. Wards % deprived Population The lack of comprehensive traditional- Derryleckagh 20.5 4,493 style regional economic statistics forced Windsor Hill 22.0 3,120 us to seek other ways of demonstrating this lack of development and, hence, the Drumalane 25.6 3,211 imperative for ‘catch up’ for the Newry- St Patrick's 28.6 3,702 Dundalk region.

76 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 An image of the new Narrow Water bridge to be built, largely with EU INTERREG funding between 2013 and 2015

St Mary's 34.7 2,401 Deprivation in Newry was high, as Drumgullion 37.1 3,164 encapsulated by the fact that one-third of the population lived in income- Derrymore 41.4 3,203 deprived households as compared with Daisy hill 45.4 3,388 an average of 25% for Northern Ireland as a whole. Ballybot 51.9 2,106 Total 33.0 28,788 Comparison with other NI border towns Source: NISRA Deprivation was high in all the Northern The overall income deprivation score border towns with the best off, for Newry was 33, implying that 33% Dungannon, having a score of 25%, of people in Newry live in income- just equal to the NI average. Derry and deprived households, as defined above. Strabane fared worse than the rest, with This average, however, masked a very deprivation scores in excess of 40% - wide range, from the more affluent see Table 2. Newry was one of the most Derryleckagh to the relatively deprived deprived border areas, with only Derry Ballybot8, where more than half of and Strabane recording higher scores. the people were in receipt of income support from the State.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 77 Table 2 - Income Deprivation Scores Haggardstown (part) was plus 10.5. The for NI Border Towns and Regions former ranked 98th worst while the latter was 3009th worst out of the total of 3409 Electoral Districts in the Republic Population Town Region in terms of their levels of deprivation, Dungannon 15,145 25.1 26.0 i.e. Dundalk includes some of the most Enniskillen 13,615 27.5 23.0 advantaged as well as some of the most disadvantaged electoral districts in the Armagh 14,595 29.0 22.0 Republic. Omagh 18,985 28.7 26.0 Table 4 on page 81 shows the same Newry 28,788 32.8 29.0 scores and rankings for the smaller Derry 60,595 40.7 38.0 Dundalk urban area, a subset of Table 3. As might be expected, the Relative Strabane 13,965 42.3 36.0 Index Score at minus 6 shows that this Source: NISRA was more disadvantaged than the larger Dundalk region. The scores of the urban Deprivation in the Republic of Electoral Districts are, for the most part, Ireland significantly negative and, with one Armagh is much more than a city... exception (Dundalk Urban No 2), all EDs Deprivation measures9 in the Republic recorded lower relative scores in 2006 of Ireland are based on data from the than they did 15 years earlier. Censuses of Population (in this case the at the heart of celebrating the life of Saint Patrick and 2006 Census). Many of the same type Dundalk Urban also compared poorly a major destination on the Saint Patrick’s Trail. of indicators feature except in a different with other towns on the Republic of mix. The focus is on three dimensions of Ireland side of the border – see Table 5. affluence/disadvantage: Its relative score in 2006 was minus 6 There are many special things to experience From Saint Patrick to the High Kings of • Demographic profile compared to minus 1.6 for Monaghan, in Armagh, from the historically unique Ulster, from studying the heavens in the • Social class composition which was the least deprived, and minus • Labour market situation. 12.7 for Cavan, which was the most Navan Centre & Fort, stunning National planetarium to researching your family deprived. (Interestingly, the deprivation Trust properties, unmatched Georgian tree, Armagh has always been a place that Dundalk measures in all five border towns had architecture, two cathedrals, the amazing stimulates and enthrals. Whether, cathedrals fallen in the 15 years to 2006, indicating city green space of the Mall and the chance or cultural events; myths or monuments Table 3 (on page 80) shows that the that they had deteriorated relative to the to indulge in all manner of activities in a there are stories, insights, discovery and Relative Index Score for the Dundalk national average – with the biggest falls region was minus 3.5. The national occurring in the North West). beautiful natural environment. enjoyment. scores ranged from minus 60 (most disadvantaged) to plus 30 (most When the analysis was extended to In today’s hectic world Armagh o ers the affluent), leaving Dundalk not far from incorporate the rural hinterland as well chance to take time to rediscover oneself, to This is Armagh, a place of the average, which was zero. However, as the urban centres, Dundalk emerged enjoy time with a partner, family or friends, significance to stimulate there was a wide disparity of affluence as the most deprived of 20 ‘hub’ to nd opportunity to think, to learn, to and disadvantage in the Dundalk and county towns in the Republic of region. The RI score for Dundalk Urban Ireland. Despite having the sixth largest discover and have fun. and satisfy the soul... No.1 was minus 23.3 while that for population, 52,000, it had one of the

78 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 explore www. armagh.co.uk Armagh is much more than a city...

at the heart of celebrating the life of Saint Patrick and a major destination on the Saint Patrick’s Trail.

There are many special things to experience From Saint Patrick to the High Kings of in Armagh, from the historically unique Ulster, from studying the heavens in the Navan Centre & Fort, stunning National planetarium to researching your family Trust properties, unmatched Georgian tree, Armagh has always been a place that architecture, two cathedrals, the amazing stimulates and enthrals. Whether, cathedrals city green space of the Mall and the chance or cultural events; myths or monuments to indulge in all manner of activities in a there are stories, insights, discovery and beautiful natural environment. enjoyment.

In today’s hectic world Armagh o ers the chance to take time to rediscover oneself, to This is Armagh, a place of enjoy time with a partner, family or friends, significance to stimulate to nd opportunity to think, to learn, to discover and have fun. and satisfy the soul...

explore www. armagh.co.uk Table 3: Dundalk Region Deprivation scores Electoral Deprivation Change Population Pop change Pop change District 2006 1992-06 2006 1992-06 1992-06 DUNDALK URBAN NO.1 -23.3 -6.1 2,190 -193 -8.1% DUNDALK URBAN NO.2 -17.9 1.2 1,211 97 8.7% CASTLETOWN (PT.) -10.4 -8.2 3,939 1,273 47.8% DUNDALK RURAL (PT.) -9.3 -1.4 15,534 1,501 10.7% DUNDALK URBAN NO.3 -7.2 -2.4 1,347 -126 -8.6% KILLANNY -4.1 4.1 683 109 19.0% DRUMMULLAGH -3.4 4.4 1,120 345 44.5% DUNDALK URBAN NO.4 -2.2 -3.3 6,677 1,064 19.0% CREGGAN UPPER -1.5 8.2 684 40 6.2% FAUGHART 0.6 2.2 905 73 8.8% BARRONSTOWN 1.2 2.6 647 42 6.9% RATHCOR 1.4 3.7 1,203 86 7.7% LOUTH 2.4 5.6 1,308 286 28.0% GREENORE 2.8 6.7 979 91 10.2% DARVER 3.3 5.9 562 84 17.6% CASTLERING 4.0 2.6 935 167 21.7% MANSFIELDSTOWN 4.2 10.6 640 234 57.6% BALLYMASCANLAN 4.6 -1.1 2,016 123 6.5% CARLINGFORD 5.0 4.2 1,384 122 9.7% JENKINSTOWN 7.2 2.2 948 60 6.8% RAVENSDALE 7.8 -2.2 982 113 13.0% HAGGARDSTOWN (PT.) 10.5 -3.6 5,864 1,565 36.4% DUNDALK REGION -3.5 -0.7 51,758 7,156 16.0% Analysis of Haase, T. & Pratschke, J. (2008), Op cit, Dublin: Pobal data by P McArdle

lowest rates of population increase in on the Northern side in terms of the 15 years to 2006. deprivation, suggested that both Newry and Dundalk were at or near the bottom Comparisons with Table 2, which of the rankings on their respective sides shows the ranking of border towns of the border.

80 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Table 4: Dundalk Urban Deprivation scores Electoral Deprivation Change Population Pop change Pop change District 2006 1992-06 2006 1992-06 1992-06 DUNDALK URBAN -23.3 -6.1 2,190 -193 -8.1% NO.1 DUNDALK URBAN -17.9 1.2 1,211 97 8.7% NO.2 CASTLETOWN (PT.) -10.4 -8.2 3,939 1,273 47.8% DUNDALK RURAL (PT.) -9.3 -1.4 15,534 1,501 10.7% DUNDALK URBAN -7.2 -2.4 1,347 -126 -8.6% NO.3 DUNDALK URBAN -2.2 -3.3 6,677 1,064 19.0% NO.4 HAGGARDSTOWN (PT.) 10.5 -3.6 5,864 1,565 36.4% DUNDALK URBAN -6.0 -2.2 36,762 5,181 16.4% Analysis of Haase, T. & Pratschke, J. (2008), Op cit, Dublin: Pobal data by P McArdle

Table 5: Border Towns Relative Deprivation Deprivation Change Pop Pop Change Pop change 2006 1992-06 2006 1992-06 1992-06 Monaghan Urban -1.6 -3.0 7,794 817 11.7% Sligo Urban -2.5 -7.5 17,892 590 3.4% Letterkenny Urban -4.8 -6.9 12,777 3,960 44.9% Dundalk Urban -6.0 -2.2 36,762 5,181 16.4% Cavan Urban -12.7 -4.8 3,934 602 18.1% Analysis of Haase, T. & Pratsche, J (2008), Op cit, Dublin: Pobal Data by P McArdle

Gateway Development Index ‘Hubs’11 were charged with driving development in their catchment areas Under the National Spatial Strategy and supporting the Gateways. A (NSS) in the Republic of Ireland, the Gateway Development Index (GDI), development of a network of nine which includes provision for both ‘Gateways’10 was identified as key to quantitative and qualitative indicators, stimulating growth in their respective is used to evaluate progress. The regions, while strategically placed methodology used is similar to that

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 81 Table 6: Gateway Development Indices Gateways Core (Zone 1) Catchment (Zone 2) GDI Change GDI Change 2006 1991-06 2006 1991-06 Galway 7.1 -0.3 5.9 0.2 Cork 5.5 -0.0 6.3 0.1 Sligo 5.3 -0.5 5.1 0.1 Dublin 5.1 0.1 5.4 -0.0 Letterkenny 4.1 -0.3 2.6 0.5 Limerick 3.8 -0.4 5.1 -0.3 Midlands 3.5 -0.8 4.0 -0.1 Waterford 3.4 -0.3 4.1 -0.2 Dundalk 2.1 -0.1 3.8 -0.1 Source: Fitzpatrick Associates and Trutz Haase, Economic Consultant

described above, albeit that the areas Comparing the Electoral District covered are bigger and their catchment maps ... shows the limited degree zones are defined somewhat differently. to which the relative position of local areas has changed over the past The results, however, are similar and fifteen years. The worst-affected they are summarised in Table 6. areas in 1991 were generally in the Dundalk emerged at the bottom of same position in 2006, despite the the GDI. Perhaps the most startling unprecedented economic growth finding indicated by this table was the experienced by practically all parts of very limited changes in relative terms the country. The rising tide seems to between the 1991 and 2006 censuses. have lifted most boats, but this ‘lift’ There was little sign of the catch-up on has tended to conserve the relatively the part of the less developed regions stable differentials that already existed that might have been expected given between affluent and poorer areas13. the large sums of state aid that were expended and the rapid economic The GDI score for the Dundalk core growth of the country during this zone was 2.1, the lowest score of any period12. Gateway and very significantly below the other two border Gateways, Sligo and This experience with regional Letterkenny. Of the three, only development in the period up to 2006 is Sligo exceeded the national average encapsulated in the following quote: GDI of 5.

82 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Border Gateways - urban zone GDIs

7

6

National average 5

4

3

Dundalk 2 Sligo

1 Letterkenny

0

GDI Health Social Transport Affluence Population Enterprise Knowledge Environment

This led Fitzpatrick & Associates to The high Dundalk transport reading conclude that: reflected short journeys to work, good public transport availability and a high Dundalk is one of the most challenging proportion of retail outlets, but low PC/ of the Gateways in terms of its structure Internet access and limited non-car and performance as revealed in this usage were negatives. preliminary GDI analysis. It is not improving its relative position and is Dundalk scored well below average for below average7 on most domains. environment, knowledge and affluence. Its status suggests that as yet it has The poor environment score reflected Dundalk not fully capitalized on its relatively the low quality of drinking water and, 6 advantageous location on the Dublin- to a somewhat lesser extent, river Sligo Belfast corridor14. water quality. The knowledge score 5 reflected the low proportion of the adult The greater detail in the GDIs enables population with third-level qualifications Letterkenny us to focus4 on the factors underlying and relatively low numbers of graduates the experience in the border areas. returning to work in Dundalk, while The scores3 for the various component the affluence indicator was based on the domains can be seen in the chart Income Deprivation scores above. In Dundalk,2 only two domains outlined above. scored above the national average - transport and health15 - compared with Perhaps surprisingly, the weak Dundalk three in Letterkenny1 and five in Sligo. scores on Enterprise contrast with 0 PopulationEnterpriseKnowledgeEnvironmentTransport SocialHealth A uenceGDI JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 83 those of the other two border region of urbanisation. The trend towards Gateways, which recorded above urbanisation is clear and is likely to average scores for this domain. In intensify over the next decade, which Letterkenny this reflected strong new makes it likely that the border regions firm formation and good quality of will lose rather than gain ground. Indeed, enterprise as reflected by the share of this trend is already apparent in the services in total employment. Similar preliminary results of the 2011 Republic factors were evident in Sligo, which also of Ireland census – see postscript. benefited from low unemployment. However, the standard statistics used Summary of deprivation results by the EU show a different picture, with significant catch-up reflected in The deprivation measures indicated that the phasing out of assistance from the Dundalk and Newry were surprisingly Structural Funds. There are a number of deprived given their location within reasons for this: the Belfast-Dublin Corridor and good transport infrastructure. Given the • The EU statistics are generally importance placed on the development measured at high aggregate levels of the Corridor for the future of the and data for individual border towns Island, it is anomalous that the two are not available; towns in the middle of it are at the • The traditional measures used by the poorest end of the scale. Relatively high EU to assess eligibility – GDP and levels of deprivation in the strictly urban unemployment - are unsatisfactory areas appear to be leading to the more in that they omit key indicators of affluent living in the regions around these deprivation; towns rather than within their urban • The bar has been raised as poorer perimeters. countries from Eastern Europe have joined, dragging down the EU However, even when comparison average; is made including their hinterlands, • Use of Gross Domestic Product Dundalk remains at the bottom of the (GDP) instead of Gross National ranking of border towns in the Republic, Product (GNP) boosts Republic and Newry third from lowest among of Ireland output at the expense Northern Ireland’s border towns. of incomes, thereby creating a misleading impression as incomes This made a strong case for policies to are generally 20 per cent lower; enable the Dundalk-Newry area to catch • Per capita income and up in terms of economic performance. unemployment statistics fail to In the Republic of Ireland the urban capture the impact of emigration. population is only 60 per cent of the whole compared with 80 per cent in Rising average incomes and the the UK and the US, while a recent enlargement of the EU has meant that study16 placed Ireland 21st of 23 EU State aid is being gradually phased member states examined in terms out in both the Republic of Ireland and

84 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 the UK. Before the recent recession, system. It will also work up a common it was likely that the next review of the Öresund regional development strategy. guidelines would see significant further A joint initiative provides practical curtailment of EU assistance. This may information on all aspects of moving and well still happen, but recent declines in commuting, viz. taxes, housing, social income – RoI national income has fallen security, living costs and education. In by about 20 per cent relative to the EU addition to an internet site, there is a call since 2006 – should be a mitigating centre in Copenhagen and a one-stop factor. information office in Malmö.

Cross-border cooperation elsewhere The Öresund region is more advanced than other cross-border initiatives A survey by McArdle found a limited in Europe in its management by a number of significant cross-border high-level steering committee, its fiscal initiatives around Europe while the agreements for the bridge project and Buchanan Report cited only one the cooperation of the region’s higher significant exemplar, the Öresund region education institutions. linking Denmark and southern Sweden. However, the parallels and implications The Regio TriRhena is located on the of this were of limited relevance given Upper Rhine in the heart of Europe, the vastly different scale and nature of and covers parts of Southern Alsace the operations. The Öresund region has (France), southern Baden (Germany) a population of more than 3.5 million and north-west Switzerland. Strong and is centered around the longest economic interdependence, a pool road and rail bridge in Europe, with a of skilled labour, excellent transport focus on education as an enabler. It infrastructure and cluster effects all has, moreover, a history of interaction integrate this overall area. several centuries old. The significance of the project is reflected in the EU’s This region, too, has a long history of view of Öresund as a European flagship cross-border cooperation dating back to programme. Current traffic volumes the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In 1975 and tolls are deemed sufficient to repay an agreement between the French, the debt raised to build the bridge, German and Swiss governments to which was guaranteed by the two formalise cross-border activities came governments, in about 30 years. into force.

Businesses in the region have set up The regional associations formed a a variety of cross-border associations coordination committee that created the to promote knowledge and networking Council of the Regio TriRhena in 1995, activities. A project to integrate urban a 60-member body bringing together development and transport infrastructure representatives of cities, municipalities, called IBU (Infrastructure and Urban economic organisations and universities Development) is exploring how to that meets at least twice a year. Cross- create a sustainable transportation border cooperation in the region is

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 85 extensive, involves diverse entities and relevance to the smaller less-developed has a shared vision. regions is desirable.

Only Vienna-Bratislava, a relatively Recommendation 3: Input to the recent cross-border initiative, has St Andrews Review Body to seek to experimented with jointly attracting counteract the widespread view that the multinational companies and investment North West Region is the most deprived to the entire Austrian-Slovak area. border area.

Closer to home, the North West Recommendation 4: Assess the Gateway proposal began with an impact of the efforts to attract inward ambition to promote a cross-border investment by the joint Vienna-Bratislava industrial park but was subsequently region (Austria-Slovakia). transformed into a Virtual Cross Border Technology Park initiative. The initial Recommendation 5: Review the intention was that IDA Ireland and factors that led to the less ambitious Invest Northern Ireland would market, North West Gateway objective of as one, their respective populations, a Virtual Cross Border Technology graduates, educational and research Park and their significance for Newry- institutions, business clusters and Dundalk. combined property solutions in the region. However, the idea of a unified Recommendation 6: Seek formal cross-border park was dropped in (cross-border) Gateway status and a favour of close cooperation to develop public sector initiative similar to that of a Virtual Cross Border Technology Park the North West. that would link separate business parks in Letterkenny and Derry. Recommendation 7: Make a submission regarding the appropriate 10 recommendations16 indicators to use in the 2013 review of the State Aid guidelines. Recommendation 1: Newry-Dundalk should push for a cross-border advisory Recommendation 8: Examine the service modelled on the Öresund feasibility of having the joint Newry- example in the Southern Swedish- Dundalk area recognised as a distinct Danish region [This is already happening region and the first cross-border zone to a certain extent virtually through the for the 2013 State Aid guidelines. Border People online cross-border information website www.borderpeople. Recommendation 9: Review the state info] of play regarding the recommendations in the ICLRD Report and critically assess Recommendation 2: A greater focus the degree of progress achieved. on the ways in which the EU regional statistics are compiled and their Recommendation 10: Pursuant to the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding

86 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 between Newry and Mourne and Louth Institute of European Affairs) Councils, prioritise the practical steps Economists Group, is a member of that can be undertaken to demonstrate the Economic and Monetary Affairs progress on the ground. Committee of the European Banking Federation and a commentator Postscript in the Irish Times and other publications on economic and Since the McArdle report was written, financial matters. He is a member the results of the 2011 Republic of of the Joint Board of Appeal of the Ireland Census have been published new European Banking Authority and preliminary updated deprivation and is a director of the Corporate data have also become available17. They Governance Association of Ireland, show that Dundalk’s position relative RBS Asset Management Dublin and to Letterkenny deteriorated further Coutts Multi-Asset Fund. He holds between 2006 and 2011. an MA in econometrics and is a Qualified Financial Advisor, a Fellow Pat McArdle is a former Chief of the Institute of Bankers and a Economist with Ulster Bank and Member of the Institute of Directors. also worked in the Department of He holds a Diploma in Corporate Finance, the EU Commission and Governance from the Smurfit NCB Stockbrokers. He currently Business School at University chairs the IIEA (International College Dublin.

ENDNOTES

1. Newry-Dundalk: a new perspective on the development of the region, Colin Buchanan in association with Raymond Burke Consulting and Urban Institute Ireland, January 2006.

2. The Newry-Dundalk Twin City Region, ICLRD, January 2009.

3. O’Dowd, et al., Borders, National Sovereignty and European integration; the British Irish case, 2006

4. www.borderIreland.info, Tom Noonan at IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council, Castle Leslie, Monaghan, 2 June 2010

5. Investigation into North/South Trade Statistics, InterTradeIreland, August 2009

6. A Newry/Dundalk Cross-Border Economic Zone: Imperatives & Policy recommendations, Pat McArdle, November 2011

7. One can speculate as to the origins of the name, Baile Bocht being a likely possibility.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 87 8. Haase, T. & Pratschke, J. (2008) New Measures of Deprivation for the Republic of Ireland, Dublin : Pobal

9. BMW Region Gateways: Dundalk, Galway, Letterkenny, Sligo and the Midland Gateway of Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore. S&E Region Gateways: Cork, Dublin, Limerick/Shannon and Waterford.

10. BMW Region Hubs: Ballina/Castlebar, Cavan, Monaghan and Tuam. S&E Region Hubs: Ennis, Kilkenny, Mallow, Tralee/Killarney and Wexford.

11. Of course, it could be argued that the less-developed regions would have fared even worse in the absence of State funding

12. Haase, T. & Pratschke, J. (2008) Op Cit.: Pobal

13. Fitzpatrick Associates (2009) Preparation of a Gateway Index

14. In practice, health was measured by number of GPs per capita.

15. Kaiser Family Foundation (2012) Percent of total population living in urban areas

16. These recommendations were made in the November 2011 McArdle Report.

17. https://www.pobal.ie/Pages/New-Measures.aspx and http://trutzhaase.eu/ deprivation-index/the-2011-pobal-hp-deprivation-index-for-small-areas/

88 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 GALICIA AND NORTH PORTUGAL: FROM CROSS-BORDER SUSPICION TO EUROREGIONAL COOPERATION

Celso Cancela Outeda

Galicia, the north-western region of Spain, and the region of North Portugal (see map on page 91) enjoy a common historical and cultural-linguistic heritage. They are neighbouring border territories divided by the River Minho, which in this region is the common frontier between the two states. Until the 1980s the relationship between these two most north-westerly parts of CelsoBrian Cancela Harvey Outeda the Iberian peninsular was the traditional one of two peripheral regions divided by a jurisdictional frontier, with all the negative connotations caused by distance from capital cities and poor roads and communications facilities. Galicia is particularly known to Irish people for being the end point of the world-famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

The first formal contacts between the operations involved (e.g. building of Galician and Portuguese authorities bridges and improvement of roads), were aimed at correcting these there is an outstanding intangible negative effects. These contacts led heritage associated with this initiative: to the formation of the Galicia-North the creation of a context which has of Portugal Working Community in encouraged cooperation amongst the 1991. Later cross-border agreements diverse political-administrative and and entities such as the Eixo Atlantico socio-economic actors, thus surpassing Atlantic Axis and the Galicia-North the purely cross-border, and acquiring of Portugal European Grouping for an inter-regional (or euroregional) Territorial Cooperation (GNP-EGTC) dimension. This evolution has involved emerged from EU programmes. making the most of opportunities (and overcoming challenges) for the Despite their relative youthfulness development of the two regions, and (on the borders of Germany, France improving the competitiveness created and Holland, for example, initiatives by European integration (the EU Single of this type began in the 1950s) Market) and economic globalisation. In and beyond the specific, tangible short, it is an attempt to create a more

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 89 socially and economically attractive Autonomous Communities, including territory, thus reducing its peripheral Galicia, also normally attending these character and promoting its social summits). cohesion. In 1988 and 1990 respectively, Portugal The development of cross-border and Spain ratified the European Outline cooperation involved the overcoming of Convention on Transfrontier Cooperation political, social and cultural dynamics between Territorial Communities or established over centuries and marked Authorities (1980). Nevertheless, it was by misunderstanding, distrust and not until 2002 that Spain and Portugal mutual suspicion. The decades since signed the so-called Bilateral Treaty on the 1980s have seen a real change in Cross-border Cooperation between the historical pattern of neighbours’ Territorial Entities and Authorities (which relations between Galicia and North entered into force in 2004), which Portugal. What caused this change? reaffirmed the two states’ political Several factors played a part in the commitment to transfrontier cooperation initiation and consolidation of cross- between regional and local authorities, border cooperation along the banks of and helped to clarify the the River Minho. legal framework.

Political and legal factors related to Another key political-administrative the democratisation of the two Iberian factor for starting transfrontier states – both dictatorships up to the cooperation was, on the one hand, mid-1970s – were present at the the political decentralisation of the beginning. Importantly, this brought Spanish state, which resulted in about a reorientation of their respective the establishment of Autonomous foreign policies towards the common Communities in the various Spanish democratic space and opportunities for regions, and, on the other, a local and socio-economic development presented regional administrative restructuring by the European Community. In terms undertaken in Portugal, which resulted in of bilateral relationships between the the strengthening of these administrative two states, these entered a new stage levels. As a consequence, new political in 1977 with the signing of the Spanish- and institutional players came to the Portuguese Treaty for Amity and fore who, despite the asymmetry of Cooperation. This treaty established their powers, were capable of forging the foundations for greater inter-state coordinated strategies and initiatives. cooperation, including cross-border Significant political leaders like Manuel initiatives in several sectors (including Fraga Iribarne, President of the Galican natural resources and communications). Regional Government from 1989 to Since 1986 annual Iberian summit 2005, and Luis Braga da Cruz, President meetings have been held between the of the Coordination Commission for respective Heads of Government and the Northern Region of Portugal from other ministerial representatives (with the 1985 to 2001, backed and actively Presidents of the Spanish border region encouraged such cooperation initiatives.

90 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Lastly, the process of European examining it from a series of different integration has had an influence – standpoints. through the formation of the Single European Market and specific European From a European perspective, the Commission initiatives such as the Galicia-North of Portugal Euroregion is INTERREG programme – on the a peripheral territory located along the commencement and evolution of south-west of the continental Atlantic cooperation between Galicia and North seaboard. It includes the region of Portugal. Galicia (a NUTS 2 region, with A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra as Towards a euroregional reality NUTS 3 counties within it), and the region of North Portugal (NUTS 2) (with Minho-Lima, Cávado, Alto-Trás-os- Montes, Grande Porto, Ave, Támega, Douro and Entre Douro e Vouga as NUTS 3).

The Euroregion covers an area of 50,700 square kilometres, and has 6.3 million inhabitants, with 2.7 million of these living in Galicia and 3.6 million in the North of Portugal. Galicia has an ageing population whilst the North of Portugal has a younger population.

The average population density is 125 inhabitants per square kilometre. There is a marked trend for the concentration of the population near the coast in detriment to inland areas. A factor Source: Galicia – North of Portugal common to both regions is population Working Community dispersion (i.e. the number of population centres is high in number and small in Nowadays, this political-institutional size), which makes it difficult and costly cooperation is not limited to cross- to provide certain public services (e.g. border questions, but has acquired an health, education and social services) inter-regional dimension, a wider ranging and modern infrastructure, especially in aspect that is developing within the areas close to the border. However it is framework of the so-called Galicia-North worth noting that in comparison to the of Portugal Euroregion, with this region rest of the Spanish-Portuguese border seen not as a legal entity but rather as a region, which is practically uninhabited, space for socio-economic inter-relations. the population density in Galicia and Let us take a brief look at this space, North Portugal is high.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 91 This high population density leads, for whose political-administrative, religious example, to heavy daily cross-border and intellectual centre was the current traffic flows: this section of the border Portuguese city of Braga. In the year accounts for 49% of all heavy goods 585 this kingdom was overrun by the and car traffic along the entire Spanish- Visigoths. Nevertheless, the former Portuguese frontier. Other factors here Gallaecia maintained a certain degree are the geographical proximity, easily of political autonomy and complete navigated terrain and cultural affinity and cultural and linguistic unity throughout linguistic proximity. the Middle Ages.

Among the socio-cultural affinities that This unity was fractured at the end of continue to endure are: a common the 11th Century with the creation of religiousness; the importance of the state of Portugal to the south of the agriculture and the division of the land River Minho, effectively breaking with the into smallholdings; the persistence of territory to the north (the current Galicia). subsistence economies in rural areas; From the 12th-13th centuries onwards, the dispersion of the population; the today’s political border began to take parish as the basic centre of local life, shape, coinciding with the transfer and high emigration. of political and cultural life to Lisbon as a result of the ‘Reconquest’. Both Pre-Roman roots territories were progressively separated due to their insertion into separate These affinities have their roots in countries with different and rival political the pre-Roman period. The Roman trajectories (Leon and Castille versus period saw, among other things, the Portugal). In particular, this distancing construction of an urban (Braga, Lugo, occurred as a result of the construction and Astorga) and road network, plus of the rival Castilian and Portuguese the introduction of the Latin language, monarchies, with their respective the Christian religion, and political- overseas empires and, ultimately, their administrative divisions. During the development into nation states. Roman Empire the north-west of the Iberian peninsula was converted If we had to identify a date that into an administrative entity called definitively marked this distancing Gallaecia, with internal subdivisions process, it would be 1640, when (convents) called bracarense, lucense Portugal restored its monarchy and and asturiense: the first two of these recovered its independence. This approximate to what is currently Galicia resulted in the creation of a negative and North Portugal. image of Portugal in Galicia which led to much ignorance, distrust and In the Fifth Century invasions by the mutual suspicion. In later centuries barbarian tribes destroyed the Roman Portuguese nationalism, characterised organisation of the region. The Swabians by a fierce anti-Spanish sentiment (Spain settled in the north-west of the Iberian had attempted to annex Portugal on Peninsula, establishing a kingdom numerous occasions), and Portugal

92 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 and Spain’s alliances with warring However in linguistic circles there European powers, England and France are many advocates of bringing the respectively, further reinforced the Galician language closer into line with existing physical, political and mental Portuguese. frontiers. From a European perspective this is In 1864 the Spanish-Portuguese frontier a region that is far from the EU’s main was definitively delimited by the signing economic and financial axes. Both of the Treaty of Lisbon. It is now an Galicia and North Portugal are Objective old, pacific and consolidated border 1 regions (with a per capita GDP less (it is Portugal’s only border). It is also than 75% of the EU-25 average) and, worth noting the absence of irredentist as such, are recipients of significant political movements in either Galicia European funds. They have a relatively or Portugal, despite a common past low level of economic development. and the linguistic and cultural links This can be seen, amongst other that exist between the two regions. aspects, in the orientation of investment

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JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 93 in cross-border cooperation towards latter two provinces bordering Portugal) infrastructure, at least during the initial all with their governing bodies (provincial years. councils), and local municipal councils (315). These entities are all players in The two regions’ respective economic transfrontier cooperation. structures are, generally speaking, complementary in nature. Their The North Portugal Region is one of the commercial exchanges have also five administrative regions into which led to a high level of regional inter- the territory of mainland Portugal is dependence: 40% of trade between divided. As an administrative region Spain and Portugal is concentrated since 1979 it has had a Commission for along the border between Galicia and Regional Coordination and Development North Portugal; an increased degree – CCDR-N – with powers pertaining of economic integration (in 2004- to questions of regional macro- 2008 Galicia was the second Spanish economic coordination and planning, Autonomous Community in terms of the management of EU funds, and the amount of Portuguese investment supervision and technical advice for it attracted); and a significant increase local authorities. Nevertheless it is a in cross-border journeys and social decentralised body and is not a legal relations. These factors provided entity per se, lacking, above all, its sufficient justification for bodies like own decision-making capacity. Within the Working Community and the Eixo the region there are eight districts, the Atlantico to argue the need for certain metropolitan areas, associations of strategic ‘euroregional’ initiatives before councils, and 86 municipalities. Here their respective national governments the political-administrative players and the European Commission, such involved are central government, as the building of a high-speed rail link regional government, and supra- between Vigo and Oporto. municipal and municipal authorities. The Portuguese municipalities are, We need also to consider the in general, larger than their Galician political-organisational diversity of counterparts. From the above we can this Euroregion, since this has had a see that there is an institutional and significant bearing on cross-border organisational asymmetry which at and inter-regional cooperation. Since times hinders cooperation. 1981 Galicia has been an Autonomous Community with political powers Institutionalisation of cooperation defined by its Statute of Autonomy. It has its own political institutions: a The first meetings between the Galician Parliament with legislative powers, a and Portuguese authorities in the 1980s Regional Government and a President generated jointly-drafted documents and with executive powers, and municipal preparatory studies for specific cross- authorities. Its territory is divided border initiatives that were presented to internally into provinces (A Coruña, the respective governments in Madrid Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra, with the and Lisbon.

94 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

Later on it was decided that two members alone, and added political these initiatives would have to be weight with regard to higher level players institutionalised in order to provide such as central governments. continuity and coherence, and to increase their number so as to face The Galicia-North of Portugal Working the challenges presented by the Community is a forum and not a legal Single European Market. In 1991 the entity, without its own staff and budget, President of the Galician Regional and funding received in equal measure Government and the Chairman of the from both partners. It was created in North Portuguese CCDR-N signed an order to help with the development agreement to set up the Galicia-North of both regions in the framework of of Portugal Working Community (in the growing inter-regional interdependence process overcoming resistance from the and to help improve the situation Madrid and Lisbon governments, who of both border populations. What favoured the creation of a single working does it do? It deals with matters of community for the entire Portuguese- common interest, promotes information Spanish border region). Unlike other exchange, coordinates initiatives and Working Communities, the creation addresses common problems by initiative came from the two regional means of agreed solutions. In which entities, and not from local bodies. This areas does the community act? It both facilitated its functioning, with works in a wide range of sectors such decisions taken by consensus by the as economic development, transport

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 95 and communications, agriculture, the Strategic Cooperation Plan, with five environment, natural resources and land main operational objectives: 1. To drive planning, fisheries, health and social competitiveness and encourage the affairs, local development, regional and creation of employment; 2. To protect local administration, education, training the natural environment and heritage; and employment, scientific research 3. Land planning and accessibility; and universities, culture, and heritage 4. Socio-economic and institutional and tourism. integration; and 5. technical assistance.

The Working Community combines Here is a list of some of the both political and technocratic Community’s initiatives up to the present dimensions. Its organic structure is day: transfrontier infrastructures (four based on a chairmanship held for new bridges over the River Minho, alternating two year periods, a Board cross-border roads, motorways and (with equal representation from both high speed rail links); economic and regions), a Coordination Committee financial stimulation initiatives (Galicia- (consisting of two general coordinators) North of Portugal Capital Risk Fund, and a Secretariat. There are also four Development Centre, Transfrontier sectoral committees: Sustainable Business Services and Cooperation, Development and Planning, Economic Galicia-North of Portugal Statistical Development and Tourism, Innovation Yearbook, Business Atlas); technological and Energy Efficiency, and Civil research and development (MR Responsibility; a specific committee innovation, CTAG/CellA, technical for the local authority-based Eixo development platform for the car Atlantico (see page 98); and Territorial sector/new materials for use in cars); Cooperation Communities, which social services (renovation of villages have a local base and which allow for the social reintegration of children); local and provincial authorities to the environment (Gêres-Xurés cross- be involved in the management of border park, regeneration of border initiatives and programmes. Lastly, there fluvial watercourses); culture, heritage is a Crossborder Observatory and a and tourism (Fortrans, initiatives in Strategic Analysis and Reflection Group. border forts); and education, training and employment (cross-border EURES, The Working Community is a milestone FPTRANS, Transfrontier Professional in recent history because, for the first Training for the Unemployed, time in centuries, both banks of the Euroregional Study Centre). The River Minho have a common forum numerous different projects and for debating shared business and programmes in these areas have mainly promoting coordination, and thus been funded by INTERREG. allowing common problems to be addressed, with the use of combined A formal EGTC established strategies and resources. For example, in 2007 the Working Community passed Besides the above initiatives, the the 2007-2013 Galicia-North of Portugal Working Community has played a

96 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 driving role in the relationships between territory in a separate manner. Now the the Galician and Portuguese authorities, programmes can be defined, presented with the aim of promoting cooperation to Brussels, and directly managed by that was initially cross-border, but the GNP-EGTC, since it is a legal entity which is now inter-regional, in nature. with administrative authority, with the In practice, it has established itself as power to tender, contract and perform a territorial based lobby which acts public works, to expropriate land, and jointly in making representations to to jointly manage facilities and run the authorities in Madrid, Lisbon and services. From the time of its creation its Brussels. tasks have been orientated towards the execution of the 2007-2013 Galicia- In 2008 in Santiago de Compostela North of Portugal Cooperation Plan. a European Territorial Cooperation Agreement was signed between The creation of the GNP-EGTC the Galician Government and the cooperative instrument marks a CCDR-N in Portugal which resulted in ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the history of the the establishment of the Galicia North relationship between Galicia and North of Portugal European Grouping of Portugal, which now – for the first time - Territorial Cooperation (GNP-EGTC). have a common institution. Two entities The objective of this body is to facilitate coexist in the area of cross-border and encourage territorial cooperation cooperation since the creation of the (transfrontier, transnational and inter- GNP-EGTC: the Working Community, regional) among members with the aim which acts as a political body, and of strengthening economic and social the GNP-EGCT, which functions as cohesion. It is a legal entity with the legal the effective executor of cooperative power to act in the respective states. It projects financed with its own funds or has its own staff, a joint management funds gained through applications to team (with the first Chairperson being EU funding calls. In order to achieve Portuguese and the first Secretary/ coordination between the two entities, Assistant Director Galician), and its own the structure of the GNP-EGTC budget, provided in equal shares by the features a Superior Council representing Galician Government and the CCDR-N. the Galician Regional Government and the CCDR-N. This acts as the organic The GNP-EGTC allows us to overcome link between the GNP-EGTC and the a range of difficulties which have regional Heads of Government. dogged transfrontier cooperation in our regions, including the lack of a legally In addition there is an Assembly established entity which can intervene in (formed by four representatives of the relationships with other players. It also Galician Regional Government and provides a joint and flexible vision of daily four representatives of the Portuguese joint management. In the past all cross- CCDR-N). Its powers consist of the border projects had to be validated by annual approval of the programme the respective central governments and of activities and budget; the approval were carried out and managed in each of tariffs, levies, taxes and prices; the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 97 imposition of disciplinary sanctions; most notable obstacles. The CCDR-N prior authorisation for the signing is a decentralised body of the central of collaboration and cooperation government, which hinders and slows agreements, and prior authorisation down initiatives because consultations for loan and credit operations. Lastly, with and decisions from Lisbon are the organisation is completed with a unavoidable. However despite this Director, who is appointed by mutual political asymmetry with respect to the agreement between the President of the autonomous Galician institutions, the Galician Regional Government and the CCDR-N has an excellent understanding Chairman of the CCDR-N for a two year of the regional reality, as well as the period, with the condition that s/he must ability to act as a mobiliser of local and have a nationality different to that of the regional players in its territory. Secretary/Assistant Director and the current chairperson. Role of local authorities

The taking of decisions and the The region’s local authorities also composition of the bodies has to intervene in the area of territorial and observe the principles of consensus cross-border cooperation. An example and equity. Portuguese, Galician and of this is offered by the North-western Spanish are the working languages. Peninsular Atlantic Axis or Eixo Atlántico. All the documents generated by the This began in 1992 as a private law GNP-EGTC have full legal validity in any association started by a dozen cities in of these languages, without the need for Galicia and North Portugal, without any translation. link to the Working Community. In 2000 a protocol was signed between both It is still somewhat difficult to evaluate entities establishing an institutional link. the results of the GNP-EGTC. To the In particular, a special committee was initial delay resulting from the slow, created in the Working Community to involved negotiations between the accommodate the association, granting central governments in Madrid and it the status of full member. Lisbon, and the later hold-up in the designation of the governing positions This has allowed the two networks to for the EGTC (Chairman, Director and pursue their respective objectives for Secretary/Assistant Director), we have the consolidation of the inter-regional to add the impact of the economic and space, which on many occasions financial crisis that is currently affecting were complementary, whilst avoiding both states. duplication. This means that at present two political-institutional players are The main drawback that affects cross- operating with a Euroregional vocation: border cooperation in the Galicia-North the Working Community and the Eixo Portugal region is political-institutional Atlantico. The latter has progressively asymmetry. The lack of a proper increased its membership: the 12 devolved regional power to the south of founding cities have now become 34, the River Minho constitutes one of the

98 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 almost tripling the number of initial In practice, it acts as a transfrontier members. lobby in relation to public (European, state, regional) and private agents The Eixo Atlántico maintains its own and as a promoter of diverse projects operations in a series of priority and initiatives. Its presence makes areas: infrastructure, transport, urban the cooperation in Galicia and North development, the environment, tourism, Portugal more than merely cross-border sport and culture. Its main objective in nature, since it favours an inter- consists of organising a common regional or Euroregional approach, while territory that allows advances to be also involving municipal authorities and made in terms of internal cohesion, other urban public actors in a more favouring inter-regional and cross- intense manner, making them more border cooperation at a local level and, dynamic and bringing them closer to more generally, contributing to the citizens’ needs. development of the European urban element and European integration.

For further information contact: Joe Lavery (Coordinator) EURES Cross Border Partnership

Tel: +44 (0)75 0001 7268 Email: [email protected] www.eures-crossborder.org

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 99 Other initiatives which are territorially the so-called raia seca zone, typified by limited and strictly cross-border in nature low economic activity and a reduced have arisen within the Galicia-North population density. It is an attempt to Portugal Euroregion, involving local share services and carry out common authorities. The Unimiño Project has projects in the areas of tourism, health, been underway since 2005. It is a result education, transport, the environment of a collaboration agreement between and culture. two supra-municipal entities: the Inter- municipal Community of Vale do Minho More specifically, it aims to provide (integrating 5 Portuguese municipalities) common resources through the joint and the Provincial Council of Pontevedra management of services and facilities (involving 16 Galician municipalities). in both municipalities, thus avoiding It covers a total of 21 Galician and unnecessary and expensive duplication. Portuguese towns along the final stretch Its specific initiatives include the of the River Minho with a population of implementation of the ‘Eurocitizen Card’, 190,000 inhabitants and extending over which allows the use of social, sporting, an area of 1900 square kilometres. recreational and cultural facilities and services under identical conditions for Its objectives are the promotion of the residents of both municipalities. It cooperation and the establishment of tries to promote exchanges between initiatives among the municipalities in the populations of both towns, while order to carry out public works, manage increasing the overall number and common services, and develop projects diversity of services on offer. This for submission to European and national initative inspired the creation in February calls for tenders. Although the potential 2012 of a second Eurotown in Tui- areas of operation are numerous Valença, located on the banks of the (farming and fishing, economic River Minho and the most important development, the environment, natural crossing point along the whole length of resources and land planning, public the Spanish-Portuguese border. services, the joint use and protection of the River Minho ), in practice efforts Although in this article we have mainly have centred on projects related to focused on initiatives promoted by collective public transport and the public entities, we could also mention provision of transfrontier public services. other examples that involve civil society actors, such as business associations, Another example of crossborder trade unions and non-governmental cooperation is the Verín-Chaves organisations. Eurotown. This is a project sponsored by the Eixo Atlántico which began in Conclusion 2007 and involves the Galician town of Verin (15,000 inhabitants) and the The cooperation that has been Portuguese town of Chaves (45,000 developed in the Galicia-North Portugal inhabitants). Geographically, it is located Euroregion has been the result of in an inland area of the Euroregion, on initiatives by public institutions, initially

100 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 at a regional level. After this, local level Nevertheless, at the present time, players began to participate with diverse cooperation between Galicia and North objectives and initiatives, thus helping Portugal faces a number of challenges. further to promote that cooperation. Civil On the one hand it has to move on society actors are also now involved. from initiatives related to physical infrastructures, in order to explore The development of cross-border and second generation cooperation such inter-regional cooperation involving this as in public services and Research, range of actors has undoubtedly helped Development and Innovation in line generate a discourse that perceives with EU guidelines; on the other hand, such cooperation in a positive light, as cooperation has to adapt and survive in an instrument for overcoming mutual a harsher environment dictated by the disadvantage, presenting the Euroregion current economic-financial crisis. as a territorial space capable of generating opportunities in the context Celso Cancela Outeda is a Lecturer of a growing competitiveness resulting in Political Science and Public from globalisation and European Administration at the University integration. The feeling that there exist of Vigo. He holds a doctorate in strategic, converging or shared interests law. He is the author of the Jean that require coordination in sectors such Monnet Module ‘The European as transport, the environment, natural Union towards the political union: resources, research and land planning A federal and constitutional has progressively taken hold. Specific perspective’ (2011). He has carried joint operations exist and are, of course, out research into the process of of great importance, but we should European integration and territorial not overlook what has been achieved cooperation in the Galicia-North in the terrain of perceptions, ideas and Portugal Euroregion. He is the discourses: the intangible heritage of author of several publications on cooperation. territorial cooperation in the Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion.

REFERENCES

Cancela Outeda, Celso: ‘Panorama de la cooperación territorial en la Eurorregión Galicia-Región Norte de Portugal’, Documents d’ Anàlisi Geogràfica, 2010.

Domínguez Castro, Luis: ‘Europa e a fronteira luso-galaica: historia e reencontro’, As eurorrexións e o futuro de Europa: o modelo da eurorrexión Galicia-Norte de Portugal, Porto, 2004.

Domínguez Castro, Luis: ‘Borrando rayas: cooperación territorial, soberanía y construcción europea (1948-1980)’, Hispania. Revista Española de Historia, 2011.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 101 Palmeira, José Antonio: ‘Geopolítica de Portugal: Atlântico é arma estratégica para combater periferia na Europa’, Revista de Pensamento do Eixo Atlántico, 2004.

Rojo Sagado, Argimiro: ‘Percepciones mutuas e imágenes recíprocas: España y Portugal ante el espejo’, España y Portugal. Veinte años de integración europea, 2007.

Venade, Nuno: ‘Galiza-Norte de Portugal: a euroregião necessária’, en As eurorrexións e o futuro de Europa: o modelo da eurorrexión Galicia-Norte de Portugal, Porto, 2004.

Villares, Ramón: ‘Portugal: Galicia e o iberismo’ en Actas do IV Simposio Internacional Luso-Galaico de Filosofía, Santiago de Compostela, USC, 2003.

Villares, Ramón: ‘Minho River: a history in common’, in The Euroregion Between Two Centuries, Vigo/Porto, 2010.

102 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 NORTH-SOUTH COOPERATION BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETY BODIES: STILL DISAPPOINTINGLY UNDER-DEVELOPED

Andy Pollak

In February 2012 two significant independent reports were published on the current state of the ‘peace process’ in Northern Ireland: the Northern Ireland Peace Monitoring Report by Paul Nolan and Progressing Good Relations and Reconciliation in Post-Agreement Northern Ireland by Grainne Kelly. These reports were published under the auspices of Andy Pollak two highly reputable community and research-based organisations, the first by the NI Community Relations Council and the second by the University of Ulster’s conflict resolution research centre INCORE.

It is extraordinary how little mention cooperation. A word search found there is of North-South1 or cross-border no matches for the phrases ‘cross- cooperation in either of these well- border’ or ‘Republic of Ireland’. The Irish received reports. The Nolan report has government was cited only for its role as a little over a page (out of 183) on ‘the a funding source. In the lengthy literature workings of the North South Ministerial review and bibliography there was no Council’, in which it mentions that the mention, for example, of the more than Centre for Cross Border Studies, one of 100 research reports on all aspects a range of third sector bodies set up to of North-South and cross-border develop ‘mutual understanding between cooperation published by the Centre for the two jurisdictions’, had put together a Cross Border Studies and its associated database showing ‘5,000 organisations bodies since 2001. actively pursuing cross-border activities’. There is no further comment on this One of the sections in the Kelly report striking evidence of a rich network of is on ‘successes to date’ in the connections between Northern Ireland implementation of the peace process in and the Republic of Ireland.2 Northern Ireland. There was no mention of any North-South success stories The Kelly report has even less mention here. In this foundational ‘strand’ of the of North-South or cross-border 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 103 successes could have included the context of the five priorities of the following: the regular meetings and Rowntree Trust’s 2011-2016 funding harmonious cross-border relationships programme for Northern Ireland: built up between politicians and civil strengthening ‘new politics’; fostering servants through the North South a culture of human rights, equality and Ministerial Council and the seven North/ civil liberties; encouraging and enabling South bodies; frequent statements by marginalised groups to play a full part in the NI First Minister Peter Robinson that the political process and in civil society; relations with the Republic of Ireland dealing with the past; and strengthening have never been better; the continuous civil society.The Rowntree research growth of cross-border business and was based largely on interviews with trade until the onset of the international around 60 politicians, community and financial crisis and its particularly heavy voluntary sector leaders, community impact on the Republic of Ireland in activists, women, student and youth 2008; the security threat from republican leaders, lawyers, social researchers, dissident groups largely held in check peace workers and young people in by excellent cooperation between the both jurisdictions between January and two police forces; and the accessing April 2012. of hundreds of millions of euro in EU funding by thousands of cross-border A quiet success story community and voluntary groups, particularly in the border region, where Practical North-South cooperation in the such funding has seen a remarkable decade from the Belfast/Good Friday blossoming of that hitherto very Agreement in 1998 to the international underdeveloped sector (particularly on financial crisis in 2008 between a wide the Southern side of the border). range of social, educational, community, and economic development groups What does this striking absence of is generally seen as one of the quiet any significant mention of the very success stories of the Northern Irish considerable work on the cross-border peace process. The major factor in dimension of the peace process tell us this success was the largesse of EU about North-South relationships and funding programmes like PEACE and connections 15 years after the signing of INTERREG. the Belfast Agreement? And what does it tell us about North-South connections As the former editor of the Irish Times, between ‘civil society’ bodies in Conor Brady, observed in 2005: ‘Right general and community and voluntary across public life – in public services, organisations in particular? Those are in business, in NGOs, in voluntary the questions this article, in a provisional organisations – the deadly, deafening way, will try to answer. silences and the stopped-up channels of communication have been replaced by Since it is based on research carried dialogue, cooperation and a realisation out for the Joseph Rowntree Charitable that everybody gains, and nobody loses, Trust, the article will try to do it in the when people and organisations work

104 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The Cross Border Youth Orchestra outside the Albert Hall in London before a performance together...Now teachers from the two regions (particularly between Germany, parts of Ireland can work in each others’ Belgium and the Netherlands). He jurisdictions. Nurses and health workers paid tribute to the EU’s PEACE and have mutually-recognised credentials. INTERREG programmes for being ‘the Social workers can move from one crucial catalyst for the regeneration jurisdiction to another. Business people of the border region generally, and for are trading, investing and developing community development and cross- without regard to the lines on the map. border cooperation by voluntary and From this year on, PSNI and Garda will community organisations in particular.’4 be able to work on secondment in each other’s service.’3 However he said that the most recent PEACE III and INTERREG A more critical view came from the IV programmes (2007-2013) were respected social commentator, Brian ‘governmentalised, with a diminished Harvey in 2010. He said that the role for voluntary and community governments in Dublin and Belfast organisations, the bulk of funding being had focused their efforts mainly on channelled through government bodies economic cooperation between and especially local government.’5 the two jurisdictions, largely to the He believed the lack of government exclusion of the kind of ‘people to strategies to support cross-border people’ cooperation that is the norm cooperation by civil society organisations in many European cross-border – with many in the sector believing

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 105 that so long as European funding was small communities in practically every there, the two governments were happy border county who have reached without such a strategy – represented out into the unknown to link up with ‘an extraordinary example of a lost people from diametrically opposed opportunity...The border region of the political viewpoints and cultural and island provided an unusual example in religious traditions for the sake of mutual Europe of an intense level of community understanding and reconciliation. The development in a border region coming majority of such projects were largely out of conflict, one where the Irish sustained by EU PEACE programme experience could be most useful to funding which has now largely ended. other countries.’6 Behind business, education There are some real success stories and health of cross-border ‘people to people’ cooperation in the Irish border region in Three of the sectors which have seen particular. Examples include the Diversity very significant levels of cross-border Challenges initiative (led by former cooperation since 1998 are business, Alliance politician and South Armagh health and education, and this has farmer Will Glendinning), which brings been reflected in numerous articles together former security force members in this journal since 2006. However on both sides of the border; collects the it is striking that the community and ‘Troubles’ stories of loyalists, republicans voluntary sector largely failed to follow and ex-security force members, and the North-South cooperation path laid works to bring republican dissidents down by these sectors. During the into the political process; the County ‘good years’ of generous EU and Irish Monaghan Community Network, a government ‘Celtic Tiger’ funding from group which brings local people in that 1998 to 2008, there was relatively little county together with republicans in significant cross-border exchange and south Armagh and members of the cooperation between larger nationwide Orange Order in north Armagh for joint or province-wide community and social, cultural and educational activities; voluntary organisations in the two Irish a series of initiatives led by a parish jurisdictions. priest in Truagh in north Monaghan and his local development association The reasons given for this by (see page 114), who have organised spokespersons for the sector are an astonishing range of cross-border various: the different structures North and cross-community activities bringing and South, with the former following the people of every religious and political UK model of an overseeing ‘umbrella’ persuasion together for nearly 20 organisation representing the sector years in this largely forgotten rural (NICVA) for its dealings with government, area; remarkable groups of women while in the Republic the various bodies in Newry and Dundalk and Derry and worked with government through the Letterkenny who have worked together community ‘pillar’ of institutionalised against domestic violence; and ordinary ‘social partnership’ arrangements;

106 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Farnham Estate Cavan, Co Cavan. Email [email protected] farnhamestate.com the fact that community and voluntary Ireland Executive policy paper called groups in the separate jurisdictions Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. This in the post Belfast Agreement period proposed to drop the Direct Rule goal were generously funded by their own of ‘reconciliation’ in favour of ‘mutual governments and therefore were not accommodation’ between ‘cultures motivated to look across the border; and communities’, with the result is that and the failure to set up a North/South there would be no agreed framework Consultative Forum to bring civil society to address Northern Ireland’s enduring organisations together on an all-island central problem of sectarianism. At basis, as promised in both the 1998 time of writing this paper had been Belfast Agreement and the follow-up out for consultation for nearly three 2006 St Andrews Agreement. This years! In July 2012 the Northern Ireland researcher does not find these reasons Secretary, Owen Paterson, said it entirely convincing, believing that a was ‘profoundly disappointing’ that a fourth key factor is the continuing deep concrete policy in this vital area was still disconnect between the two societies not forthcoming from the Executive. which is one of the themes of this article. However the ‘shared future’ concept BUILDING ‘NEW POLITICS’ continues to strike a chord in working- class communities, both Catholic This was one area which provoked and Protestant. As John Loughran, enthusiastic answers from many an impressive younger North Belfast interviewees, although it was striking community worker from a republican how different the contexts – and background, put it: ‘At the heart of therefore the opinions – were in the the Northern state is the duality of two jurisdictions. In Northern Ireland, unionists and nationalists. We need to the debate is largely about a ‘shared internalise that, and we need a new future’ between the two communities. more affirmative and positive language In the words of Senator Martin to do it, one that is not reflected in the McAleese, who has worked tirelessly local media. Loyalism is demonised ‘behind the scenes’ to persuade and vilified – how can you build peace Northern Protestants and unionists (and with partners when you are constantly particularly former loyalist paramilitary demonising them?’ He went on to cite leaders) that the Republic is no longer a the example of a prominent loyalist threat to their identity – the next and vital community leader who he described task of reconciliation in the North is to as ‘politically British and culturally Irish forge ‘One Community with – republicans have to acknowledge two traditions.’ that, and that he’s not some kind of misguided Irishman.’ This is not a viewpoint shared by the DUP and Sinn Fein, who in 2010 Loughran is looking for a new dialogue rejected the British Government’s that is ‘something transformative – Shared Future policy proposals in we’re rather bereft of ideas here at favour of a deeply flawed Northern the moment.’ He noted that although

108 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 the next 10-15 years would continue to see ‘a high level of collaboration between unionists and republicans, we’re not focused on a wider “change in Ireland” debate, a nation-building debate, and we need to create the space where civil society organisations can have this debate.’ He said ‘all- Ireland governance is romanticism in the current environment’; ‘the Good Friday Agreement is where it’s at’ and there was a need to ‘create a space for a new North-South-East-West debate’ on these fundamental issues.

Liam Maskey, Loughran’s boss at Intercomm, which works for reconciliation between the divided communities of North Belfast, is Liam Maskey of Intercomm recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s outstanding cross-community leaders. in a previous time. Partition was like a He believes that NI’s nationalists and split in a marriage: one brother went unionists have more in common with with the father and one brother went each other than with, respectively, with the mother. We need to recognise nationalists in the Republic of Ireland that the Republic is not a priest-ridden or people in Britain. ‘We are realising or an IRA-ridden state. We have to get that, regardless of our constitutional beyond that. There is a different political differences, we have no natural partners dispensation in the Republic now and outside our Protestant and Catholic it’s not to our disadvantage. It’s all about neighbours.’ building a good working relationship with the Republic.’ Billy Hutchinson, a community leader in the loyalist Mount Vernon area, former Community, womens and UVF prisoner and leader of the small youth views left-of-centre Progressive Unionist Party, originally formed by UVF ex-prisoners) Many leaders of the community sector is similarly advanced in his thinking. also believe the time is right for a new He believes people in Northern Ireland, public debate about the state of society including his own people, need ‘a in Northern Ireland. A leading Derry- broader perspective that brings in the based woman community leader felt Irish Republic too. We have to recognise that women’s voices – so strong in the that the Irish Republic has a very special 1990s, culminating in the contribution relationship with Northern Ireland. It’s not of the Women’s Coalition to the Belfast just a foreign state. We were brothers Agreement and the early years of the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 109 Northern Ireland Assembly – had been justice, environmental sustainability and stilled (and quoted Hillary Clinton saying participative democracy’, he said. the same thing). A North Belfast loyalist leader said it would be a good time to Crowley would like to see what he calls re-run the 1992-93 Opsahl Commission, a North-South ‘ferment of ideas’ event the independent inquiry which addressing the following three issues: canvassed the views of the people of Northern Ireland (and others) at a time • What is the future role and function of political deadlock and continuing of the community and voluntary violence. sectors, North and South; • What kind of politics do we want However whether such diverse strands to come out of this period of as national identity, sectarianism, poverty recession and austerity that will lead and unemployment, womens and young to a just, equal, participative and people’s issues can be woven together environmentally sustainable society; into a meaningful all-Ireland debate is • What kind of economic model will another matter. This researcher had a underpin such a society: we know strong sense of two completely different that the current model has failed but political debates going on in the two we don’t yet know what the new Irish jurisdictions. Niall Crowley, former model will look like. head of the Equality Authority in the Republic, and a long-time campaigner He believes that there is a common on issues to do with equality and conversation to be had in both Irish poverty, was struck by this when he jurisdictions around these fundamental addressed a meeting of community questions, although until Northern activists in Derry in early 2012. The Ireland feels the full force of UK austerity Northerners were completely focused on measures, which it has largely been lobbying the power-sharing politicians at protected from to date, it is unlikely Stormont – a relatively new experience that Northern community and voluntary for them after over 30 years of Direct leaders will see the need for such a Rule from London. This contrasted with conversation. He also understands the radical post-austerity, post-lobbying that the immediate reaction of a sector thinking about ‘new politics’ developing which has been hit by government (particularly through the group ‘Claiming funding cutbacks of more than 30% in our Future’ with which Crowley is the Republic is to ‘turn in on itself and associated) in the Republic of Ireland go back to what it knows best’. Survival (see three points below). ‘They are going at such a time means being quiet and through what we went through in the cautious: organisations are trapped 1980s. The problem is that such an into this agenda of survival by the emphasis on lobbying keeps the focus predominance of their role as on influencing politicians rather than service providers. bringing along our own communities and people more generally, and persuading Crowley warned that the community them of the core values of equality, and voluntary sector in the Republic

110 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Members of the County Monaghan Community Network visiting Annaghmare Court Cairn in South Armagh of Ireland had failed the sell the value human rights and equality in both parts of equality to the public, and so of Ireland has been disappointing in they did not vote for it in the 2011 recent years. It started so well. The 1998 general election and did not protest Agreement laid down that the Republic in any real sense when it ‘went out of Ireland should introduce measures of the window’ under successive to ‘ensure at least an equivalent level Irish governments’ harsh austerity of protection of human rights as will policies. As establishment politicians pertain in Northern Ireland.’ As Michael – including Labour politicians in the Farrell, senior solicitor at the Free Legal Republic – reached a consensus on the Aid Centre in Dublin and a former civil necessity for austerity, the sector had no rights leader in Northern Ireland, wrote alternative to offer. He wondered what in 2011: ‘This amounted to a vision would happen when a similar right-left and an ideal of a society throughout (i.e. DUP-Sinn Fein) coalition in Northern the island that would be based on a Ireland had to face up to austerity and culture of human rights, with laws and cutbacks, as inevitably it will. institutions to deliver those rights...the requirement for equivalence of rights HUMAN RIGHTS, EQUALITY AND was based on the idea of a symmetry CIVIL LIBERTIES of rights protections, North and South, to demonstrate that the Republic was Having been an area of great promise fully committed to the ideals of equality, after the Belfast Agreement, progress in fairness, respect and due process that it

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 111 was advocating for Northern Ireland.’7 underfunded, they could not spare the money or the staff to make the Joint Among other things, the Republic Committee a serious undertaking. The promised to consider incorporation of proposed all-island Charter of Rights the European Convention on Human ‘which could have provided a blueprint Rights into its domestic law; to establish for realising an all-island zone of human a Human Rights Commission (alongside rights, has withered on the vine, a victim and similar to the NI Human Rights of the delays and obstacles put in the Commission); to bring in enhanced way of the Bill of Rights for Northern employment equality and equal status Ireland – mainly caused by successive legislation; and to initiate a ‘wide-ranging British governments’ insistence on a Bill review’ of draconian security legislation of Rights and Responsibilities for the UK (the Offences Against the State Act) as a whole – and the chronic lack of brought in during the Second World funding of the two Commissions.’ War and used for the previous 30 years largely to combat the Provisional IRA However, as Brian Gormally of the and other paramilitary groups. Committee for the Administration of Justice in Belfast points out, there would A Joint Committee of the Irish always be a fundamental problem, if and Northern Irish Human Rights such a charter was going to be more Commissions would also be set up as than just a declaration of principles, ‘a forum for consideration of human because it would not be ‘justiciable’ rights issues in the island of Ireland.’ (i.e. capable of being determined by This Joint Committee was tasked with a court of law) under the different considering the establishment of ‘a legal jurisdictions of the UK (with a charter...reflecting and endorsing agreed system based on common law and measures for the protection of the parliamentary sovereignty) and the fundamental rights of everyone living on Republic of Ireland, with its written the island of Ireland.’ constitution.

However Farrell said that ‘successive The European Convention on Human Irish governments showed little Rights was not incorporated into Irish enough enthusiasm about delivering law until 2004, six years after the Belfast what they had pledged.’ While the NI Agreement. By then Ireland was the only Human Rights Commission was set up Council of Europe member state not to promptly, the Republic’s equivalent took have incorporated the Convention. three years to establish, and there was an immediate row when the government In 2009, as the Irish and international rejected the recommendations of its own financial crisis began to bite, the Irish selection committee on its membership. Human Rights Commission’s budget He said that the Joint Committee had was cut by 32%. In autumn 2012 the ‘never really taken off’, largely because government advertised for a Chief with both Commissions regularly Commissioner to oversee the merger of

112 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 the Human Rights Commission with the much of the two agencies’ work in Equality Authority. future years. A second report in 2005 – Equivalence in Promoting Equality – Equality implementation greatly annoyed the Irish government by pointing out that the implementation of Progress on the equality front in the equality measures was much stronger Republic had been more substantial. and more focused in the North than New and wide-ranging equality the South, and that there were failures legislation was brought in promptly and of equivalence. Both organisations a new and powerful Equality Authority found such joint work and exchanges set up. However a major weakness of practice a good learning experience. compared with the Northern Ireland ‘When you create a space outside both legislation was that there was – and jurisdictions, it frees people up so that still is – no equivalent of the Section they will do things they might not do 75 ‘positive duty’ on public authorities within their own jurisdiction,’ to promote equality of opportunity says Crowley. (and good relations) between people of different religious beliefs, political However in 2009, the crisis-hit Irish opinions, racial groups, sexual government slashed the Equality orientation, disability and four other Authority’s budget by 43%. Crowley, characteristics. also facing a new board which he feared would undermine the body’s Under an activist director, Niall Crowley, independence from government, the North-South dimension of equality resigned. was taken very seriously in the early years of the century. The boards of Other human rights efforts also suffered. the Equality Authority and the Equality A National Action Plan against Racism Commission for Northern Ireland was not renewed and both the Combat (which was under the leadership of Poverty Agency and the National an equally committed chief executive, Consultative Committee on Racism Evelyn Collins) met every year to plan and Inter-Culturalism were disbanded. a programme of joint work. One of the Coincidentally both these bodies had rationales for their close relationship, been headed by Northerners who had quite apart from the implementation of overseen significant cross-border EU the Belfast Agreement, was that they funding allocations and research work. were the first two integrated equality bodies in Europe dealing with a wide There is currently relatively little North- range of equality grounds under the South joint work in the areas of human same roof. rights, equality and civil liberties. Most of what does happen is funded by the US Among the particular milestones in their charity, Atlantic Philanthropies, for whom joint work was a 2000 report on the human rights is a priority area. Thus AP benefits of such a multi-grounds equality provides generous funding to the Free agenda, which set the framework for Legal Advice Centres (75% of FLAC’s

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 113 total funding) and the Irish Council Border Region – the social researcher for Civil Liberties in Dublin (which has Brian Harvey found that the among the provided it with a bigger budget than sample of these groups he talked to the government’s Irish Human Rights ‘most described themselves as working Commission) and the Committee for generically with local communities, the Administration of Justice in Belfast. disadvantaged and socially excluded Specific projects it has funded are cross- people. Specifically the main target border conferences between the parallel groups were, in descending order, Public Interest Law Alliance (RoI) and young people, older people and Public Interest Litigation Support project unemployed people.9 (NI), which encourage ‘pro bono’ work by lawyers (mainly in the South) and use When he focussed on case studies of public interest litigation which has of 20 of these projects, he found significance for more than the individual that they covered such diverse fields complainant (mainly in the North). as ex-prisoners, generic community development, mental health, victims ENABLING MARGINALISED of the ‘Troubles’, peacebuilding and GROUPS TO PLAY A FULL PART reconciliation, local development, IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND the arts, second chance education, CIVIL SOCIETY Travellers and the built environment. As can be seen from this list, EU funding It was surprising to this researcher went to many marginalised groups. that he was able to uncover relatively Particularly in the early phases of the little major North-South work aimed at PEACE programme, the emphasis in encouraging and enabling marginalised project selection was on ‘bottom up’ groups to play a full part in the political initiatives and marginalised groups in the process and civil society, outside the border region, although this emphasis large number of mainly small projects moved more to larger organisations and funded by the EU PEACE programme, local authorities in later years. many of them in the immediate cross- border region. Work in marginalised and disadvantaged communities in the Irish border region It should be said first that there have continues, with or without EU funding, been well over 23,000 cross-community but it is at a much lower level than and cross-border projects funded by the in previous years when generous EU PEACE and INTERREG programmes funding was available from various (with over £2.2 billion), many of them sources. A good example of the kind aimed at bringing marginalised groups of longstanding project that existed into mainstream society in Northern before EU funding and continues after it Ireland and the Southern border region is the work of the Truagh Development (the ‘eligible area’ for this European Association, led by local parish priest funding). Hundreds of these have been Rev Sean Nolan, in a remote area of cross-border.8 In a 2008 study – Audit north Monaghan. This group began of Community Development in the its contacts with the mainly unionist

114 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8

Aughnacloy Development Association, As the EU and other money runs out, just across the border in south Tyrone, and the governments and established in the early 1990s; was funded for a agencies lose interest in cross-border range of ‘people to people’ projects in cooperation, it will increasingly be left to education, community development these often isolated people to continue and peacebuilding by the EU PEACE this painstaking and unglamorous programme from the mid-1990s until peacebuilding work. 2010; and is now back doing that work largely relying on its own very limited Outside local projects, one of the resources. few recent broader cross-border community-based projects discovered Herculean efforts of individual by this researcher was a 2010 all-island community leaders Traveller Health Study which was carried out for the Irish Department Such work is often driven, in Brian of Health by University College Dublin Harvey’s words, by the herculean efforts researchers. This well-received study of individual community leaders, modest took a ‘social determinants’ approach people who have ‘a vision and a passion to the continuing poor health and for cross-border work and cross-border life expectancy of the Irish Travelling development and who are prepared to community, which is probably the most commit considerable time and energy deprived social group on the island (and to such ventures, some a lifetime. These one that tends to ignore borders in its are not misty-eyed visionaries, but movement between different places for people with a hands-on appreciation of life and work). The Pavee Point Travellers the practical difficulties of bridging gaps Centre in Dublin has also worked with and differences.’10 the Romanian Roma community in both jurisdictions. Pavee Point director An example one of these individual Ronnie Fay believes there is real scope community leaders in a Protestant area for an all-island independent Traveller is George Newell, a youth worker in East movement and support infrastructure. Belfast. He has been bringing young working-class Protestants across the Another significant North-South project border for music, drama, sport and is the all-island Gay Health Network, debates since the mid-1990s. He too which brings together the Rainbow received EU and Belfast City Council Project (the main gay and lesbian funding for a period but now continues organisation in the North), GLEN (the to work part-time with young people Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, the on the Lower Newtownards Road- main such organisation in the Republic), Short Strand interface with little or no the HIV charities and the public health regular funding, and no longer has the organisations in both jurisdictions. resources to bring them across the For the past seven years this network border. This interface area was the main has run joint campaigns about HIV, flashpoint during the riots over the Union sexually transmitted diseases and flag in December 2012 and condom use. January 2013.

116 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Brian Gormally, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice, Breege Lenihan, Coordinator, County Monaghan Community Network and Rev. Sean Nolan, Aughnacloy-Truagh Partnership

Few examples of cooperation Council (mainly RoI) on implementing between larger organisations UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the impact of armed conflict on It is striking that alongside the many women and women’s contribution to examples of ‘grass roots’ cross-border conflict resolution and peace-building; projects led by local community leaders, and on the Hannah’s House project, there are disappointingly few examples which has run a series of seminars of larger community and voluntary throughout Ireland on a range of issues sector organisations (i.e. those based to do with women in conflict, gender- in Belfast and Dublin and covering the based violence and women’s role in two jurisdictions with significant staff and peacebuilding. resources) working together across the Irish border for the benefit of the people One reason given for the relatively low they represent. level of North-South cooperation in the NGO sector is the absence of any kind In the South, leading commentators of North-South consultative structure, on the sector such as Brian Harvey, such as the promised North South Niall Crowley and Mary Higgins point Consultative Forum (and the failure of its to the devastating impact of post-2008 Northern Ireland equivalent, the Civic government cutbacks on voluntary and Forum). The almost exclusive focus on community organisations. This, however, their respective government funders in does not explain why there was so little Dublin and Belfast – so that North-South significant exchange and joint work in cooperation was always seen as an the years of plentiful resources from ‘added extra’, a kind of worthy but not 1998 to 2008 between key bodies like essential luxury – is another. NICVA and the Community Foundation for NI in the North, and The Wheel and Brian Gormally of the Committee on the Social Justice Ireland in the South. Administration of Justice in Belfast says In recent years there has been some that there are lots of obvious reasons for joint work between between the engaging in North-South cooperation: a Womens Resource and Development small English-speaking island with high Agency (NI) and the National Women’s levels of cross-border movement; many

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 117 people in both jurisdictions regarding and a reluctance to revisit the difficult it as a single entity, and the belief that recent memories of those 30 years. ‘it must be in everybody’s interests for These factors contribute to a wide gulf in there to be a common area of rights perceptions, interest and understanding on the island.’ However, he goes on: ‘It between the two jurisdictions. doesn’t happen automatically. You’ve got to find out what’s going on in the The main cross-border initiative this other jurisdiction to know whether it researcher found in this area was would be valuable engaging with it some EU PEACE funded work by the through all-Ireland cooperation. It’s a Belfast-based group Healing through ‘chicken and egg’ situation: you don’t Remembering, notably in collaboration know what the benefits are going to be with ‘The Peace Process: Layers of until you start it, but you’ve got to have Meaning’ oral history project (itself a reason to start it in the first place. It generously funded by the PEACE would be nice to do it, but that’s programme and led by Queen Mary about all.’ College, London University with Trinity College Dublin and Dundalk Institute It is this researcher’s conclusion that of Technology), which collects and that there were no influential and forceful archives a wide range of interviews with individual leaders in the community participants in the NI peace process. and voluntary pushing for more North- South cooperation, unlike in other The issue of dealing with the recent past sectors: there was nobody like Sir which is still so live in Northern Ireland George Quigley of the CBI and Liam is rarely discussed in the Republic. A Connellan of IBEC in business; Martin Southerner who has held senior public McAleese working behind the scenes positions in both jurisdictions says with the loyalist paramilitaries; Tom Daly that people in the Republic are ‘utterly of Cooperation and Working Together happy with its 26 county shape: their (CAWT) in health; and Professor John mental map is the 26 counties...When Coolahan of National University of there was active violence in the North, Ireland Maynooth and the Standing and people saw the Northern conflict Conference on Teacher Education North on the television every night, their and South (SCoTENS) in education. consciousness was more elevated. Now there is no longer a constituency of the DEALING WITH THE PAST concerned in the South.’

A North-South dimension to dealing A decade of centenaries with the past of the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ was not something that Interestingly many people interviewed came out strongly from this researcher’s by this researcher (although fewer interviews. In the South there is a among young people) were happier to weariness with the Northern situation talk about dealing with the more distant at a time when the Republic has to past of what is known as the ‘decade deal with deep financial and economic of centenaries’: those mould-breaking problems, a relief that the conflict is over events between 1912 and 1922 which

118 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 led to the formation of the two separate the sinking of the Belfast-built Titanic states on the island of Ireland. (commemorated widely throughout Ireland in 2012 but rarely in any joined- For some people, commemorating this up way between North and South); the decade of highly sensitive centenaries – early years of the Irish labour movement; with its huge potential for reawakening women’s suffrage, and, most ancient enmities and divisions – is the importantly, the First World War. He says next challenge to the Northern Ireland that currently the only ‘shared memory’ peace process. In the words of one between the working-class communities senior Dublin figure who is working in in Belfast is probably the footballer this area: ‘The next 10 years are a test George Best, but ‘we have opportunities of the peace process and they are a test to create new shared memories over the we could fail.’ next 10 years.’

The challenge here is to involve ordinary Billy Hutchinson believes many people people – especially those from conflicted in his community are ready for such areas of Northern Ireland, the so-called an all-island conversation about the ‘hard to reach’ communities (which past. He points to the success of a is sometimes shorthand for deprived recent programme of events put on by loyalist communities) – in these the Belfast Centre for the Unemployed commemorations in some way so that on the Ulster and Irish divisions in the they can make a real contribution to British forces in the First World War; a mutual understanding between unionist ‘living history’ event involving former and nationalist, North and South. Official IRA men talking about the IRA’s A Belfast group of ex-paramilitary 1950s campaign; and a visit to Dublin leaders, local politicians and historians by former loyalist and official republican is examining how this might be done, prisoners to an event to commemorate emphasising that it can be another the 18th century Enlightenment valuable step towards creating ‘one philosopher – and Northern Presbyterian community with two traditions’ in – Frances Hutcheson. Northern Ireland. STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY ‘We will be able to add value to the peace process in the second decade of For this section, the researcher turned the 21st century through consolidating first to two highly regarded leadership it by discovering a shared history that figures within civil society in Northern we thought we didn’t have. We will Ireland: the first a leading figure in the jointly celebrate some events and learn community and voluntary sector in the generously to allow other people to North; the second Dr Duncan Morrow, celebrate their particular centenaries the former director of the NI Community so that we can celebrate ours,’ says Relations Council, and an outspoken a leading member of this group from advocate of ‘shared future’ policies in a nationalist background. He gives as Northern Ireland. examples of joint commemorations:

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 119 Leading community and voluntary Duncan Morrow sector figure Duncan Morrow says what is needed This woman would like to see a is a debate about creating a Northern ‘public debate in Northern Ireland on Ireland that is not about ‘carving it participatory democracy, which could up between the DUP and Sinn Fein.’ also be North-South.’ She recalls the By focussing on both civil society intense debates that went on between and the North-South dimension, that groups in the Northern community and debate can be made ‘less parochial voluntary sector and other elements and navel-gazing’, always a danger of civil society (notably the women’s in a small, inward-looking society like movement and the churches) in the Northern Ireland. It should include years running up to the 1998 issues like community development, Belfast Agreement. social partnership, health, education and wider issues of global justice and She worries that too many people in environmental sustainability. the community and voluntary sector are now ‘technocratric’, more interested in He goes on: ‘We need to build structure, organisation and funding, than functioning relationships on this island in civil society, human rights and social for the social, economic and cultural justice issues. She is also concerned health of its people – whether it is in that some important elements in the one state or two states. We have to sector, such as community-based talk to each other more and at this time women’s groups have ‘lost out’, there is no forum to do that. Politicians, as Sinn Fein and the DUP increase particularly in Northern Ireland, don’t their influence and patronage over deal with the underlying questions. We local community groups. She gives need to have independent the example of such groups having voices involved.’ been increasingly excluded from the Neighbourhood Partnerships set He believes that politicians and civil up by the NI Department of Social society in the Republic must play a Development in the most deprived role here. ‘They can’t pretend that urban areas to allow government republicanism is a secular movement departments to work with local that can unite the two peoples. Unionists communities to tackle all forms of don’t see the white or orange in the Irish disadvantage and deprivation. Many tricolour as sending a message of peace community development groups now – they see it as a complete lie. There employ paid workers, many of them is a need for people in the Republic to ex-paramilitaries, and the usually unpaid examine their own pieties, their belief work of women activists, often in making that Ireland is somehow a unifying cross-community connections, is no culture reflected in Dublin.’ longer seen as so important by the two big sectarian-based parties.

120 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 CCBS Director Andy Pollak speaking at the Monaghan Biz-Camp in June 2012

Young people’s views students with a research interest in Northern Ireland. If civil society is to be strengthened in both parts of Ireland, much of the The Spirit of Enniskillen (SoE) young responsibility will lie with younger people – four young men in their late generations of political and community teens and their youth leader – felt activists. At a certain point in his that there was often a ‘mismatch’ research, this researcher decided when young people from the two he was meeting too many people jurisdictions met and talked. The issues who had been working too long in of sectarianism and coming out of community and voluntary and other civil conflict which are of interest to young society activities and as a result were Northerners are of little interest to young perhaps running out of ideas. So he Southerners. On the other hand the four turned to organisations with younger young SoE members said they had little members: the Spirit of Enniskillen youth or no knowledge of or interest in what organisation; the Washington Ireland went on politically in the Republic Partnership, involving high-achieving of Ireland. university students from both sides of the border, and individual University The leader admitted that there was little College Dublin postgraduate contact between youth organisations

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 121 North and South. He felt the most in urban working-class Protestant valuable cross-border work is done areas, which they felt was a dangerous when young people from a wide range trend. They came up with the idea of of diverse backgrounds came together a ‘North-South Young Minds’ project (diversity based on religion, ethnicity, to bring young people together across urban-rural, class etc), and cited the island to discuss issues of real SoE’s work with a group in Oldham in importance to them, starting with youth Lancashire as an example of how this unemployment. They also supported had worked well. the idea of an under-40s opinion poll to be carried out by a professional polling Despite their lack of interest in the firm to find out what the post Belfast South, the three young men from a Agreement generation felt about British, nationalist background agreed that Irish and Northern Irish identity, young their Irish nationalist identity was very people’s alienation from politics, and important to them, and it remained one other issues relevant to their generation. issue which had real potential for conflict with their unionist contemporaries (they They believed that the hundreds of felt this was particularly so in working- undergraduates who had passed class areas, where ‘kids wear their through the WIP programme since its identify more on their sleeves.’). The one foundation in 1995 formed a unique young man from a unionist background all-island group of younger, idealistic, said unionists always felt ‘outnumbered’ high-achieving people to undertake in North-South encounters (as, indeed, North-South cooperation projects (they he was in this interview). include one Irish cabinet minister, at least one MLA, several political advisers Washington Ireland Programme in both Belfast and Dublin, plus people graduates who are now senior in professional and humanitarian organisations, ICT The 12 ‘alumni’ of the 2011 Washington professionals and economists). It was Ireland Programme, which brings noticeable that WIP was a programme undergraduates from both sides of the young unionists felt able to engage border to do internships in Washington in, and that the main proponent of DC every summer, were ‘only bursting the ‘Young Minds’ idea was an active to do something on a cross-border member of the Ulster Unionist Party and basis’ (in the words of one UCD the Orange Order. student and Fine Gael party youth activist). They felt that one area where Marginalising dissident republicans they might work together would be in trying to ‘reconnect’ alienated young The Chief Executive of the major people with politics on both sides of North-South peacebuilding charity, the border. They noted that the 18- Cooperation Ireland, Peter Sheridan, 25 group had seen the lowest voter believes that marginalising dissident turn-out of any age cohort in the 2011 republicans and providing an alternative Northern Ireland Assembly elections, to their potential recruits is a key issue and this had reached its lowest level for civil society. He also argues that this

122 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 is a North-South issue, both because it still a live issue in the Republic – the is particularly in the Irish government’s flow of teachers, health workers, civil interest to maintain political stability and servants, community workers, students normality on the island, and because and schoolchildren across the border there is significant dissident activity in is now far lower than in the early years places like Donegal, Louth and Dublin. of the century. At that time generous One major atrocity, such as that in funding was flowing into North-South Omagh in 1998, could still do huge cooperation from the EU PEACE (a damage to the peace process. much smaller post-2013 PEACE IV fund is currently under discussion) Sheridan (himself a former senior and INTERREG programmes; the police officer) thinks that continuing International Fund for Ireland (whose dissident activity leaves ordinary people funds are due to expire in the next in republican areas of Northern Ireland two-three years); Atlantic Philanthropies ‘nervous in their support for the new (funding due to expire in 2016) and the policing and justice arrangements in Irish government (whose grant-making a way that they are not prepared or resources are now minimal). willing to openly demonstrate support for them.’ This ‘eats away’ at public This writer wrote in the Irish Times confidence in policing. He believes in January 2012: ‘It is clear that strongly that ‘civil society’ bodies in both Government, Civil Service, business and jurisdictions - notably the churches, media [in the Republic] see the North youth organisations and reconciliation as far lower down their agendas than in groups - have a role to play through previous years’. He cited as evidence for a broad strategic alliance aimed at this ‘turning away’ from the North and isolating the dissidents and persuading North-South cooperation the withdrawal alienated young people not to join them. of the Irish government’s largest financial commitment to Northern Ireland – more CONCLUSIONS than £400 million promised for the new Monaghan-Derry road; the transfer of This research found that current civil servants dealing with North-South relationships and connections between cooperation to other areas; the effective civil society in Northern Ireland ending of the joint council between the and the Republic of Ireland are still two business confederations, IBEC disappointingly under-developed after and CBI, with the winding up of its years of significant political progress and secretariat; and the halving of the Belfast generous outside funding following the staff of the country’s premier newspaper, Belfast Agreement. In Duncan Morrow’s the same Irish Times. Even Sinn Fein words ‘the intellectual framework did ‘not seem that interested in the for thinking about the North-South painstaking work of trying to bring the relationship is very weak.’ two jurisdictions closer together’, with observers noting that their Ministers Despite Conor Brady’s confident words did ‘little to speed up the snail’s pace in the introduction – written in 2005 agenda set by the DUP at North South when the Northern peace process was Ministerial Council meetings.’11

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 123 One Northern community leader Andy Pollak is Director of the brought up in the South said that most Centre for Cross Border Studies. people from the Republic of Ireland ‘see The research on which this article Northern Ireland after the Good Friday was based was carried out for the Agreement as back as part of the UK. Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust In the South only the older generation of between January and May 2012. community and voluntary sector leaders have any sense of the North-South dimension.’

ENDNOTES

1. This article will henceforth use the term ‘North-South’ when referring to connections and cooperation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

2. A lot of this is not new. In 1983 the Professor of Politics at Queen’s University Belfast, John Whyte, published a paper estimating that 15% of the more than 1,000 civil society organisations in Ireland operated on an all-island basis. 3. Centre for Cross Border Studies Yearbook (2005), pp. 8-9.

4. ‘Community development along the border: an instrument for the development of the cross-border region?’ Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland (2010), p.44

5. Ibid, p. 45

6. Ibid, pp. 40-41

7. Quotes from Michael Farrell taken from ‘Keeping up with the Neighbours: Human Rights Protection, North and South, since the Belfast Agreement’, Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland, No 6, 2011, pp.46-48

8. These figures are from an address from the SEUPB Chief Executive, Pat Colgan, in 2008.The Special EU Programmes Body does not have a publicly accessible breakdown of the very large number of projects it has funded since the late 1990s. The best source is the Centre for Cross Border Studies Border Ireland website, Border Ireland (www.borderireland.info), although most of the data on this is for the period 1998-2008.

9. Harvey, Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland (2010), p.36

10. Harvey, p.37

11. ‘Dangerous for Dublin to turn away from the North’, Irish Times, 3 January 2012

124 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 INDEX OF JOURNAL ARTICLES

The following articles appeared in the Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland, Numbers 1-8 (2006-2013), in alphabetical order according to author.

Austin, Roger. Dissolving Boundaries in North-South education. No.5 (2010)

Barry, John. Towards a Green New Deal on the island of Ireland: from economic crisis to a new polítical economy of sustainability. No.5 (2010)

Beck, Joachim. Lessons from an Institute for Cross-Border Cooperation on the Franco-German Border. No.3 (2008)

Bradley, John. Learning from the Irish Border: Reflections on Poland and the Ukraine. No.2 (2007)

Bradley, John. Beyond the Belfast Agreement: Economic Relationships within these islands. No.8 (2013)

Bradley, John, and Best, Michael. By-passed places? The post-Belfast Agreement Border Region economy. No.6 (2011)

Bradley, John and Best, Michael. Rethinking Economic Renewal: Towards a Cross- Border Economic Development Zone in Ireland. No.7 (2012)

Cancela Outeda, Celso. Galicia and North Portugal: from cross-border suspicion to Euroregional cooperation. No.8 (2013)

Clarke, Patricia and Jamison, Jim. Cross-Border Health Cooperation: From Optimism to Realism. No.1 (2006)

Clarke, Patricia and Kinsella, Ray. Cross-border banking in an era of financial crisis: EU rules need not apply. No.4 (2009)

Coakley, John. Voting for unity or union? The complexities of public opinion on the border issue. No.4 (2009)

Coolahan, John. SCoTENS: How Teacher Educators took the lead in North-South cooperation. No.3 (2008)

Cooney, Gabriel. Creating a future path for Archaeology, North and South. No.8 (2013)

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 125 Cowen, Brian. Making the here and now a better place: interview on North-South cooperation with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen. No.5 (2010)

Creamer, Caroline, Blair, Neale, O’Keefe, Brendan, Van Egeraat, Chris and Driscoll, John. Tough Love: Local cross-border cooperation faces the challenge of sustainability. No.3 (2008)

De Burca, Aoibhín, and Hayward, Katy. The Agreement Generation: Young people’s views on the cross-border relationship. No.7 (2012)

Farrell, Michael. Keeping up with the neighbours: Human Rights protection, North and South, since the Belfast Agreement. No.6 (2011)

Foley, Ronan, Charlton, Martin and Clarke, Patricia. Surveying the Sickbeds: initial steps towards modelling all-island hospital accessibility. No.3 (2008)

Gaffney, Maureen, and Ringland, Trevor. Towards a new tourism brand for the Island of Ireland. No.3 (2008)

Gibson, Chris. A Word from the Chairman. Nos. 1-6 (2006-2011)

Harvey, Brian. Community development along the border: an instrument for the development of the cross-border region? No.5 (2010)

Johnston, Helen. A Word from the Chair. Nos.7-8 (2012-2013)

Kennedy, Michael and Magennis, Eoin. North-South agenda setting in the 1960s and 1990s: Plus ca change? No.2 (2007)

Kenny, Enda. As an Island, let us show the world what we can really do: interview on North-South Cooperation with the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. No.7 (2012)

Kitchin, Rob, Bartley, Brendan, Gleeson, Justin, Cowman, Mick, Fotheringham, Stewart and Lloyd, Chris. Joined-up Thinking across the Irish Border: Making the data more compatible. No.2 (2007)

Klatt, Martin. Sønderjylland-Schleswig: from conflict to cooperation in the Danish- German border región. No.6 (2011)

Magennis, Eoin, Clarke, Patricia, and Shiels, Joseph. Is Cross-Border Cooperation Working? Some lessons from Border Ireland. No.1 (2006)

Magennis, Eoin, MacFeeley, Steve, and Gough, Aidan. A sense of proportion in cross-border shopping: what the most recent statistics show. No. 5 (2010)

126 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Magennis, Eoin. A Paradox in Irish Attitudes: Garret Fitzgerald and the North-South relationship. No.7 (2012)

McArdle, Pat. The Newry-Dundalk ‘twin-city’ region: 10 recommendations for further action. No.8 (2013)

McCall, Cathal. ‘Hello Stranger’: the revival of the relationship between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. No.2 (2007)

McCloughan, Pat. University of Ulster and Letterkenny IT: a unique opportunity for higher education collaboration in the north-west. No.5 (2010)

McGuinness, Martin. ‘We need to be big and generous towards each other’: interview with the NI Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, on North-South cooperation. No.6 (2011)

McKay, Susan. Dealing with cross-border sex offenders: learning from the North’s multi-agency approach. No.4 (2009)

McQuillan, Shane, and Sargent, Vanya. Cross-border Hospital Planning in Ireland: learning from local success stories. No.7 (2012)

Minihan, Mary. Co-operation Ireland: remaining relevant in a difficult recessionary age. No.6 (2011)

Morgenroth, Edgar. The Dublin-Belfast rail line: the need for a better service to lower North-South economic barriers. No.6 (2011)

Mullan, Caitriona. Partnership in Cross-Border Development: symbolic structure and working process. No.2 (2007)

O’Broin, Eoin. Nationalism in the service of a better chance for a bigger life: a response to Robin Wilson. No.5 (2010)

O’Dowd, Liam. The Future of Cross-border Cooperation: Issues of sustainability. No.1 (2006)

Pollak, Andy. Educational Cooperation on the island of Ireland: Are the good years ending? No.1 (2006)

Pollak, Andy. The Trade Unions and North-South Cooperation: time for a rethink? No.3 (2008)

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 127 Pollak, Andy, and D’Arcy, Michael. What role for North-South economic cooperation in a time of recession? Interviews with six business leaders and economists. No.4 (2009)

Pollak, Andy. Cross-Border Undergraduate Mobility: an obstacle race that the students are losing? No.7 (2012)

Pollak, Andy. North-South Cooperation between Civil Society bodies: still disappointingly under-developed No.8 (2013)

Quigley, Sir George. North-South Cooperation in 2013: towards an ever closer working relationship – interview with Sir George Quigley. No.8 (2013)

Robinson, Peter. ‘Business to be done and benefits to be gained’: the views of Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Peter Robinson, on North-South Cooperation. No.4 (2009)

Taillon, Ruth. Impact Assessment: developing an innovative methodology to support cross-border cooperation. No.8 (2013)

Toibin, Colm. Along the Catalan and Irish borders: politics of memory and progress through good manners. No.5 (2010)

Trench, Brian.North-South research collaboration: a drop in the international ocean. No.7 (2012)

Vigier, Francois, Driscoll, John, and Lee-Chuvala, Christa. ‘Ad Hoc’ Regionalism: managing growth through spatial planning – Learning from the American experience. No.1 (2006)

Vigier, Francois. Learning to be good neighbours: The role of cross-border spatial planning in Ireland. No.4 (2009)

Wilde, Jane. Food security and health on the island of Ireland: are we sleepwalking into a crisis? No.6 (2011)

Wilson, Robin. Towards cosmopolitanism? Renewing Irishness in the 21st century. No.4 (2009)

Individual back issues of The Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland are available from the Centre for Cross Border Studies, price £12/€14, including postage and packing (contact details on page 211)

128 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 > INFORMATION ON

THE CENTRE FOR CROSS BORDER STUDIES

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 129 130 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 At the launch of the Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland, spring 2012: from left to right, Ruth Taillon, Secretary General to the Irish Government Martin Fraser, Helen Johnston and Andy Pollak

THE CENTRE FOR CROSS BORDER STUDIES

March 2013 The Centre is an independent company limited by guarantee (UK charity no. The Centre for Cross Border XR 31047) and is owned jointly by Studies, founded in September Queen’s University Belfast, Dublin City 1999 and based in Armagh and University and the Workers’ Educational Dublin, researches and develops Association (Northern Ireland). Its cooperation across the Irish principal financial contributors in the past border in education, training, year have been the EU INTERREG IVA health, ICT, the economy, public programme and the Irish Department administration, agriculture, planning, of Education and Skills. The Centre has the environment and other practical also raised a significant proportion of its areas. It also provides management, income through sponsorship and selling training and ICT support services its research and consultancy services to to North-South and cross-border government and other agencies. organisations and networks; develops and manages cross-border Controversy about constitutional information websites, and offers relations between Northern Ireland cross-border impact assessment and the Republic of Ireland now and evaluation tools and support. It obscures less than ever before the also works with similar cross-border broad consensus that exists in both education and training centres and jurisdictions about the value of cross- institutes elsewhere in Europe. border cooperation on practical issues.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 131 This holds that a low level of contact and • Host events at which research communication across the Irish border findings can be discussed and damages the well-being of both parts disseminated, and at which policy of the island, and there is a clear need formation in the area of cross border to identify and overcome the present cooperation can be developed; barriers to cooperation and mutual • Present the findings of such understanding. research and development projects to the European Commission, the PURPOSE two governments, the Northern Ireland Executive, employer, trade The pragmatic view, that cooperation union and social partnership bodies, should take place where it brings real and the public; benefits to both parts of the island, is • Provide management support for weakened by an additional factor: there North-South and cross-border has been too little research to date on organisations and programmes how this practical cooperation is to be which have a strong education, achieved, and how the outcomes of research, and development such research should be developed. dimension; For the past 13 years the Centre for • Provide training programmes for Cross Border Studies – itself a unique public officials, NGOs and others expression of cross-border cooperation in cross-border cooperation and – has provided an objective, university- impact assessment in Ireland and based setting for policy research Europe; into, training in and development of • Provide sources of comprehensive such cooperation. In recent years, and accurate information about in partnership with the Euro-Institut cross-border cooperation in Ireland in Germany and other European and Europe, particularly information partners, the Centre has also taken an of use to citizens wishing to cross increasingly EU-facing role, particularly borders to live, work or study. in the area of developing tools for cross-border cooperation in Ireland and WEBSITES Europe. CCBS HOUSE WEBSITE 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 and Europe; • Commission and publish research on issues related to opportunities for and obstacles to cross border cooperation in all fields of society and the economy in Ireland and Europe;

132 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 www.crossborder.ie Year Visitors Visits Page views Hits (monthly average)

2004 1,453 2,084 9,178 18,981

2005 2,566 3,603 8,127 24,747

2006 3,481 4,915 10,149 30,534

2007 3,969 5,432 12,041 32,207

2008 4,340 6,060 15,930 37,045

2009 3,621 5,156 19,338 43,007

2010 4,054 6,490 29,449 63,317

2011 4,617 8,702 49,423 87,735

2012 4,346 8,882 36,019 72,689

The Centre for Cross Studies runs six is continuously updated with details websites: its ‘house’ website (www. of future events, news, research, crossborder.ie); its archive website, publications and the ‘A Note from the Border Ireland (www.borderireland. Next Door Neighbours’ column, as well info); its cross-border citizens mobility as signposts to Border People and the information website (www.borderpeople. Border Ireland news feed. info); its SCoTENS teacher education website (http://scotens.org); its Border Ireland Universities Ireland website (www. universitiesireland.ie) and its Border Ireland was the first online European partnership website searchable database to provide access (www.transfrontier.eu). to the full range of information on NorthSouth and cross-border issues The Centre’s home website (www. covering education, health, agriculture, crossborder.ie) was the second most transport, the environment, tourism, popular of its websites (after Border culture, mobility issues, business and People) in 2012 with an average of community development. 4,346 visitors per month. The website

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 133 www.borderireland.info Year Visitors Visits Page views Hits (monthly average)

2010 2,994 6,547 25,178 55,486

2011 3,416 7,569 29,591 54,971

2012 2,710 6,888 28,173 47,497

The figures for the Border Ireland website (www.borderireland.info) demonstrate a consistent user base (even though much of its archival material has not been updated since 2009). The Media Centre – which is updated on a weekly basis – continues to be the main page visited.

BORDER PEOPLE

With funding from the EU Peace II programme, it was developed by the Centre between 2006 and 2009 to centralise the very large amount www.borderpeople.info of uncoordinated and fragmented information about North-South In 2001 the North South Ministerial cooperation and the Irish border region. Council published Study of Obstacles to Mobility, a major report by EU PEACE funding for the Border PricewaterhouseCoopers and Indecon Ireland website finished at the end of Economic Consultants which explored 2008. Despite this, Border Ireland has the wide range of obstacles which documented (online) the details of 3,782 hindered people moving across the North-South and cross-border activities, Irish border to live and work. Its second 1,790 organisations, 2,084 publications, recommendation was: 2,857 newspaper articles and 2,346 individual contacts (people).

134 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 A one-stop cross-border mobility In my practice and research into free information website should be movement issues, the Border People established which would provide website has become an essential tool. comprehensive and easily accessible More importantly, its clear and user information on key aspects of jobs, friendly design allows citizens on both learning opportunities and living sides of the border to access up-to-date conditions on both sides of the border. information on key topics. It has evolved This would be linked with European over time in response to citizens’ needs Commission proposals for development and has become a first port of call for of such a site on a pan-European basis. those seeking to understand their rights. This site should also provide linkages to websites for government departments John Handoll, international lawyer and as well as representative agencies and expert on EU mobility issues (and the voluntary groups.1 Irish representative on the European Network on Free Movement within In response to this recommendation a the EU) partnership between the North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat and As well as providing information to the Centre for Cross Border Studies citizens the Border People project launched a prototype Border People has actively engaged with policy and website in October 2007 which was decision makers. Raymond McCartney initially funded by the EU PEACE MLA wrote in support: Programme and and then developed as part of the Centre’s 2009-2012 As an elected representative I receive INICCO-1 programme with EU regular enquiries from constituents on INTERREG funding. cross-border issues. These issues can be as varied as cross-border banking, The Border People information service health and education services, cross- (www.borderpeople.info) is now six border travel, VRT, benefit enquiries years old and is recognised as the only and visa enquiries. We have used the source of cross-jurisdictional citizens’ Border People project on a number information and advice in Ireland. The of occasions to access information website provides a wide range of online and advice and we have also referred citizens’ information for people crossing constituents directly to this service. the border to live, work, study or retire. It provides a signposting service to a wide Border People website statistics confirm range of (single jurisdiction) information that there is clearly a demand for this sources, the most popular of which are service, as indicated by the consistent in the areas of social security, taxation, number of people using the website (see welfare benefits, healthcare, pensions, table on page 136). and motoring.

1 Recommendation 2: A B4Umove.com website should be established, Study of Obstacles to Mobility, PricewaterhouseCoopers/Indecon Economic Consultants 2001, p. 7.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 135 www.borderpeople.info usage 2012 The Border People team also receive an average of about 60 queries per month Visitors Visits Pages via the comment facility on the website, email or telephone. The enquiries January 6,944 7,622 17,216 are usually of a complex nature, e.g. February 6,358 7,013 15,636 involving cross-border claims for social welfare or taxation. March 6,552 7,142 15,258 Due to the comprehensive information April 5,431 5,932 12,512 made available on the website and the assistance provided to people May 6,681 7,311 15,264 with individual queries, Border People June 6,560 7,177 14,617 has become recognised as the expert source of practical cross-border July 6,155 6,709 13,726 information. Typical testimonials from users are: August 6,725 7,357 15,292 The help and support from the Border September 7,773 8,558 17,787 People project has been tremendous October 8,343 9,227 19,674 and I will definitely recommend the service to anyone in need of help and November 8,521 9,304 18,784 support.

December 6,511 7,022 14,266 It’s a service like this that people need in the current climate, and especially Monthly 6,880 7,531 15,836 cross-border workers who feel that they Average are falling between two stools.

A 2010 study by the Centre on behalf There has always been a ‘knowledge of EURES Cross-Border Partnership2 gap’ between the two Irish public and estimated that around 23,000 people citizens information systems, with public were then crossing the Irish border information providers in each jurisdiction to work. This is the group that finds having a very limited knowledge of the Border People ‘an important and system on the other side of the border. valuable resource’, in the words of a Furthermore there is currently no formal study carried out by the Centre’s 2009- training for information providers in any 2012 evaluators, Indecon Economic area of cross-border mobility information Consultants. People crossing the Irish by any of the agencies involved. border are required to understand two quite distinct public sector information As a consequence during 2012 the systems and this causes significant Centre directed its efforts into seeking confusion and misunderstanding. further EU funding so that the Border

2 Joe Shiels and Annmarie O’Kane, Measuring Mobility in a Changing Island

136 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 At a Border People seminar in Manorhamilton in March 2012 were (from left to right): David Mullins (Sligo Business Network), Joe Shiels (Centre for Cross Border Studies) Brian Morgan (Morgan McManus Solicitors), Paddy Savage (InterTradeIreland), Annmarie O'Kane (CCBS), John Trethowan (Credit Review Office), Kevin Coghlan (Tier One Prudential), Ronan Haslette (Merenda), Rose Tierney (Tierney Tax Consultancy), Michael Farrell (FPM Accountants), Peter Murtagh (BDO), Desi Foley (FPM Accountants) , Michael McElroy (InterTradeIreland Acumen programme) and Fergal McManus (Morgan McManus).

People project can embed, through Brussels in October 2012 on ‘Cross- training, the provision of cross-border border Labour Mobility: a challenge that information into the practices of makes a difference’. mainstream information providers in citizens’ information and information The Border People project is a clear agencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland. example of cross-border cooperation INTERREG funding has recently been at its most pragmatic and sensible: secured for the period 2013-2015 along a means of making government with project partners the North South departments, information and advice Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat, providers and the general public in both Citizens Information Board (Ireland) and Irish jurisdictions more knowledgeable Citizens Advice Bureaux and thus more effective in dealing with (Northern Ireland). practical obstacles to cross-border mobility. Border People has also gained a profile as an example of good cross-border A NOTE FROM THE NEXT DOOR practice in providing public information NEIGHBOURS in the wider EU. As a result CCBS director Andy Pollak was invited to Since September 2006 the Centre has address an EU Open Days session been sending an opinionated monthly (representing the East Border Region) in e-column, A Note from the Next Door

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 137 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 and anti-sectarianism work in primary Neighbours, to a growing audience schools in County Antrim and the of subscribers: over 7,000 at the last Southern border region; cross-border count. These Notes have provoked cooperators saying ‘Yes’ to the Lisbon enthusiastic feedback and debate. Treaty; cross-community gaelic games; the value of having both a united Ireland The 77 ‘Notes’ so far have covered the and a United Kingdom at the same time; following issues: whether North-South statistics which show the commonalities cooperation actually works to bring between North and South; North-South about reconciliation between people cooperation during the recession; why in the two jurisdictions; the inaccurate the concept of an ‘island of Ireland’ reporting of North-South cooperation in economy is still a valid one; the the media; the possible re-opening of ‘patriotism’ of cross-border shopping; the Ulster Canal; the importance of EU the work of a Monaghan priest in cross- funding to cross-border cooperation in border reconciliation; cross-border Ireland; the need for Northern Ireland phone, insurance and banking services; to attract back its highly educated and the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise train (two skilled emigrants; how Ireland, North ‘Notes’); the cross-border activities of and South, could play a distinctive role an East Belfast Protestant community in combating world hunger; hopes worker; an appeal for an idealistic after the March 2007 Northern Ireland person to become the Centre’s deputy election; the cross-border role of director; the Centre’s work in knitting teacher education; Rev Ian Paisley as a the island’s relationships back together; champion of North-South cooperation; the Orange marching season; the need the contribution of Norwegian human for less emphasis on Irish unity and rights lawyer, Torkel Opsahl, to the more on cross-border cooperation; the peace process; the need for civil society Fermanagh man with the cross-border groups in both Irish jurisdictions to talk knowledge in his head; the role of civil to one another; a possible high-speed servants and EU officials in cross-border rail bridge between Northern Ireland peacebuilding; some unsung heroes and Scotland; the row over families of cross-border cooperation in 2009; in Donegal sending their children to the Armagh Rhymers group; Irish unity Derry schools; why higher education versus North-South cooperation; young students don’t cross the border to people and politics; cross-border postal study any more; more about barriers and train services; the welfare state, to cross-border higher education; the North and South; the role of the North

138 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 South Ministerial Council; North-South in the Irish Times, Irish News, Derry cooperation in energy; an unpublished Journal, Northern Standard (Monaghan), cross-border health report; Dundalk as Scotsman, Glasgow Herald, Sunday an exemplary green town; the impact Post (Scotland) and on RTE, BBC of the Irish and UK financial crises on Scotland, Border Television and local North-South cooperation (two ‘Notes’); radio stations in Ireland, Northern ICT in Northern Schools; the poor Ireland, Scotland and northern England. state of the Southern health service; They also appear on the celebrated how to begin to revive the border website of British-Irish and Northern region’s economy; good new ideas for Irish issues Slugger O’Toole (http:// cross-border cooperation; the South sluggerotoole.com) learning from the North during a time of recession; the Queen’s visit and impact The columns can also be accessed at assessment; bringing Irish schools www.crossborder.ie/home/ndn/ together through ICT; a response to index.php the Slugger O’Toole begrudgers; golf shows the way to ‘through-otherness’; CURRENT AND RECENT making the island’s children our first RESEARCH, INFORMATION AND priority; fracking in Fermanagh; the lack TRAINING PROJECTS of interest in North-South cooperation by Irish researchers; the lack of interest THE INICCO-1 PROJECTS in North-South cooperation by Sinn Fein; dynamic people in the Irish border On 1 February 2013 the Centre region; the Monaghan writer Eugene started a new two-year programme McCabe; cross-border walking tourism; of research, evaluation, training the Education for Reconciliation and information projects funded by project; the interest of the community the EU cross-border programme and voluntary sector in cross-border INTERREG IVA and managed by cooperation; the new closeness of the the Special EU Programmes Body. British-Irish relationship; the Marble Arch These were packaged under the caves cross-border geopark; does the collective title: the Ireland-Northern South really want the North as part of Ireland Cross-border Cooperation Ireland?; opportunities for the North- Observatory Phase 2 (INICCO-2). South joint provision of public services; The eight constituent projects in the Standing Conference on Teacher INICCO Phase 2 are as follows: Education North and South (SCoTENS); the Border People cross-border 1. TOWARDS A BORDER information service; the impact on the DEVELOPMENT ZONE Irish border if the UK were to leave the EU; the Centre for Cross Border Studies This research project, building on embarks on a new EU-funded work the proposals of the 2009-2012 programme. action research project Cross-Border Economic Renewal: Rethinking Regional These columns have been reported Policy in Ireland, will explore the potential

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 139 of a joint economic development 2. CRoSPlaN-2 SHARED SERVICES approach across the whole Irish and Northern Irish cross-border region. Its This project will be led by the three specific aims, to be carried out Centre’s ‘sister’ organisation, the through five scoping studies and an International Centre for Local and action conference, are to: Regional Development (ICLRD). The benefits of harmonising cross-border • Stimulate a form of development planning in specific regions along the that is uniquely adapted to the Irish border is something that has region, making maximum use of already been recognised by both Irish national and provincial resources in administrations (e.g. in the North-West the two jurisdictions; Gateway initiative) and in the outputs • Stimulate the evolution of local of CroSPlaN-1 (part of INICCO-1: see resources and expertise, as below) in the areas of inter-jurisdictional identified in Cross-Border Economic planning in Ireland and abroad, river Renewal, particularly by building on basin management and shared services. the experiences of the successful border region firms identified in that This phase will expand on the research study; into shared services in Ireland, Scotland, • By focusing on building the Spain, Canada and the US. It will: capacity of local authorities in both • Engage public bodies in the Irish jurisdictions to promote this process, cross-border region to identify develop more effective public sector areas for implementation of shared cross-border collaboration with the services; aim of having a major economic • Develop two shared services pilot impact on the region. projects with cross-border region local councils in areas like tourism, The five studies will be: a) overall environmental services, emergency Border Development Zone strategy and services and spatial planning; structure; b) SME enterprise in goods • Build on existing ICLRD research and services with an export potential; c) and facilitate collaboration between tourism and recreation; d) agriculture, local councils and government in food and fish processing; e) low carbon the two Irish jurisdictions to begin to initiatives, energy saving and renewable implement these; energy. CCBS’s main partner in this • Promote exchange of good practice project will be InterTradeIreland. The with councils elsewhere in Ireland action conference will be held in January and Europe. 2014, and out of it will come working groups in the five areas to work on an The project’s activities will include one implementation plan for incorporation cross-border action research project; into a funding application to the 2014- one conference; three thematic seminars 2020 INTERREG programme. and one technical workshop; two local authority initiatives supported; a learning network established; new service

140 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Professor Peter Roberts, Emeritus Professor of Sustainable Spatial Development at Leeds University, former IDA Managing Director Padraic White and Cavan County Manager Jack Keyes with ICLRD trainers and senior local government officials from the ICBAN region at an ICLRD executive training course in Killadeas, Co Fermanagh, in December 2011. agreement prototypes developed; and policies and territorial cooperation online resources tailored to the needs of among cross-border region local local authorities in the region. councils; • Provide best practices to develop 3. CRoSPlaN-2 EXECUTIVE solutions to common problems TRAINING AND ANIMATION through joint actions; PROGRAMME • Address cross-border institutional fragmentation by developing This project will also be led by the collaborative frameworks to ICLRD. It will continue the training and strengthen cooperation between animation programmes undertaken by cross-border region councils; the ICLRD for the three cross-border • Build the capacity of local councils local authority groups – East Border to jointly articulate and present their Region, Irish Central Area Border initiatives to central government Network (ICBAN) and North West Cross departments; Border Group – in the 2009-2012 • Complement the work of the three period. Its aims are to: local authority cross-border groups • Raise the awareness of the by supporting emerging initiatives in importance of operationalising areas such as tourism and economic spatial planning linkages between development. EU and central government territorial

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 141 The project’s activities will include practitioners, policy makers and cross- 10 training events; one strategic border region officials and councillors in cross-border local authority initiative data use and interpretation. supported; 90 local government officials, councillors and community leaders 5. BUDGET AND EVALUATION trained; one solution to a cross-border TOOLKITS FOR CROSS- problem addressed through joint action. BORDER COOPERATION

4. CRoSPLaN-2: EVIDENCE-BASED This project will contribute to a portfolio PLANNING of tools to support cross-border cooperation in order to: This project will also be led by the • Improve the capacity of people ICLRD. Its aims are to: involved in the implementation of EU programmes and projects; • Provide compatible 2011 census • Improve the efficiency and quality of data from Ireland and Northern funded projects; Ireland in an online and user-friendly • Improve the learning from funded format to support collaboration projects. between central government departments in both jurisdictions Two new tools will be developed: an and between local authorities in the Evaluation Toolkit and a Budget Toolkit cross-border region, and to present for Cross-Border Projects. the policy implications of such data; • Update the all-island Pilot 6. IMPACT ASSESSMENT Deprivation Index developed in TRAINING AND MONITORING INICCO-1 using the 2011 census data; Following its highly-regarded Impact • Provide analytical tools that will Assessment Toolkit for Cross-Border support evidence-based spatial Cooperation (developed in INICCO-1), planning on a cross-border basis; the Centre will assist EU-level efforts to • Train practitioners, officials and streamline and simplify the application, elected representatives in the monitoring and evaluation procedures cross-border region in the use and of Structural Fund programmes interpretation of data; (INTERREG and others) by delivering a • Facilitate exchange of best practice package of capacity-building training in data capture among councils in and monitoring support to applicants the cross-border region. and potential applicants. The project’s aims are to: The project’s activities will include the • Assist projects on the island development of two new tools (an of Ireland funded under EU all-island Digital Atlas mapping the cross-border, inter-regional and 2011 censuses and an updated all- transnational programmes to better island Deprivation Index); five seminars align their objectives and outcomes and four ‘data days’ to train 110

142 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 with the priorities of Cohesion Policy (CAWT) cross-border network of and Europe 2020; health authorities. • Contribute to improving the quality of applications to INTERREG and other 8. BORDER PEOPLE CROSS- European Territorial Cooperation BORDER INFORMATION (ETC) programmes, leading to higher SERVICE: PHASE 3 quality projects; • Strengthen the positive impacts This will be the third phase of the Border of such programmes through People online information service, which improving the capacity of Irish and provides citizens’ information for people Northern Irish people to implement crossing the border to live, work or them through their projects; study (the pilot website, which became • Contribute to improved monitoring www.borderpeople.info, was launched and evaluation of such programmes in 2007). It provides information on and projects; cross-border taxation, social security, • Contribute to improved articulation job seeking, qualifications, health, and documentation of EU education, housing, banking, telecoms cross-border, inter-regional and and other practical areas. The website transnational programmes so as to currently receives a monthly average of capture and share the learning from nearly 16,000 page views, and 60 direct them and their projects. inquiries (by phone or email) per month.

The project’s activities will include 30 The aims of the 2013-2015 phase of the training events (both group and one- project are to: to-one sessions) with 100 beneficiaries • Through training, to embed the trained in the use of the Impact provision of cross-border mobility Assessment Toolkit. information into the practices of mainstream citizens information 7. MAPPING ACUTE SPECIALITIES providers – notably Citizens Advice Bureaux (NI) and Citizens The aims of this project are to address Information Board (Ireland); a gap in information about cross- • To provide cross-border mobility border and all-island acute health information as an essential specialities by: component of a common travel zone and labour market in Ireland and • Developing a geodatabase that Europe; maps acute health specialities on • To correct misinformation regarding the island; the complex issues raised when • Training health professionals in somebody moves across the Irish the use of this mapping tool (two border to live, work or study. seminars to be held for 20 people). The project’s activities will include The Centre’s partner in this project is ‘training for trainers’ events and training the Cooperation and Working Together days to train 40 advice workers in

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 143 existing organisations to become cross-border mobility issues, assisted competent to advise on cross-border by an active and enlarged User Group mobility issues. There will be ‘user drawn from a range of citizens advice, group’ meetings, briefing papers employment advice, local authority, on cross-border mobility issues business and community organisations. and a plan developed to integrate 92% of users in a 2010 survey said the Border People service – with that they ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ continued support from the Centre for with the statement that Border People Cross Border Studies – into existing is ‘an important and valuable resource’ citizens information services in the two for people living and working in the Irish jurisdictions by 2015. The partners border region. in this project will be the North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat; The 2012 Indecon evaluation of Citizens Advice Bureaux (Northern INICCO-1 summarised the main impacts Ireland) and Citizens Information Board of Border People: (Ireland). • Contributes to better-informed cross-border mobility on the island THE INICCO-1 PROJECTS of Ireland; • Gives practical information on a Between January 2009 and March comprehensive range of cross- 2012 the Centre undertook five border issues that are easily research, training and information accessible and relevant to a variety projects funded by the EU cross- of audiences; border programme INTERREG • Facilitates enhanced recognition IVA and managed by the Special of the Centre as a cross-border EU Programmes Body under the information agency by key policy- collective title INICCO-1. The five makers in both jurisdictions and constituent projects in INICCO the wider community in the border Phase 1 (with their evaluation region; impacts) were as follows: • Contributes to networking among local authority officials, councillors, 1. BORDER PEOPLE CROSS- business people and members of BORDER MOBILITY the public in the border region; INFORMATION WEBSITE: • Awareness of the need for a PHASE 2 cross-border information service is evidenced by the integration of This was the second phase of the Border People with NI Direct. Border People (www.borderpeople. info) cross-border mobility information 2. THE CROSS-BORDER SPATIAL website, with the North South Ministerial PLANNING AND TRAINING Council Joint Secretariat as partners. NETWORK (CroSPlaN-1) Phase Two allowed for a much more systematic dissemination and marketing This network, organised by the Centre’s of information and public feedback on ‘sister’ organisation, the International

144 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Centre for Local and Regional issues such as local governance Development (ICLRD), brought together structures, aligning environmental/ an alliance (CroSPLaN) of planners, planning and shared services [in the economic development officers, local two jurisdictions]; authority officials, councillors, and • Increased use of data and mapping community and business interests on in spatial planning initiatives in both both sides of the border to promote jurisdictions and integration of cross- more systematic learning and exchange border data, facilitating linkages to in planning. data capture projects within border regions; CroSPlaN-1’s 2009-2012 programme • [through executive training consisted of six applied research programmes] Strengthened cross- projects on the inter-jurisdictional border operational linkages in implications of the NI Review of spatial planning and development Public Administration; tri-national (e.g. Louth/Newry and Mourne planning in the Basel region; river basin MoU in March 2011 and Charter management and spatial planning in of Commitment to Cross-Border Connecticut, the Elbe basin (Germany) Collaboration in April 2011; North and Ireland’s cross-border region; and West Partnership Board; ICBAN shared services in Scotland, Spain, Spatial Planning Initiative and Canada and New York State. Vision Plan); It put on one executive training • Facilitated dialogue between central programme per year for cross-border and local government on issues of region local councillors, council officials relevance to the border region; and business leaders; and one all- • [through conferences and Ireland technical workshop and annual workshops] Facilitated acess to conference for planners and related international expertise for border professionals. With partners such officials and planners that otherwise as the National Institute for Regional would not happen. and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) and the All-Island Research Observatory 3. EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL (AIRO) at NUI Maynooth, it produced FOR CROSS-BORDER HOSPITAL a range of tools such as an all-island SERVICES IN THE BORDER Accessibility Mapping Tool; an all-island REGION Housing Monitoring Tool; and all-island Deprivation Index; and an all-island This project led to the publication of two Spatial Monitoring Framework. reports on how cross-border hospital services might help to provide mutual Among the CroSPlaN-1 impacts benefits for the people of the Irish order summarised by the 2012 Indecon region. The first of these, Exploring the evaluation of INICCO-1 were: Potential for Cross-Border Hospital Services in the Irish Border Region: • [through action research projects] The role of community involvement in Practical proposals on emerging planning hospital services, by CCBS

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 145 Deputy Director Ruth Taillon, was 4. REVIVING THE BORDER REGION published in October 2010. ECONOMY IN A NEW ERA OF PEACE AND DEVOLVED The second report was Unlocking the GOVERNMENT Potential of Cross-border Hospital Planning on the Island of Ireland: A The final report of this major research Prototype Modelling Framework, by project, by Dr John Bradley and Shane McQuillan and Vanya Sargent Professor Michael Best, was launched of the Dublin consultancy firm Horwath in March 2012 under the title Cross- Bastow Charleton. This analysed the Border Economic Renewal: Rethinking potential for cross-border planning Regional Policy in Ireland. It contained in five sample clinical service areas: chapters on the origins of Ireland’s two orthopaedic surgery, ENT surgery, economies (1750-1960), the economic paediatric cardiac surgery, cystic fibrosis consequences of the ‘Troubles’ (1968- and acute mental health services. 1994); the Belfast Agreement and the island economy; development strategy The Indecon 2012 evaluation frameworks – what do they tell us?; summarised the impacts of this project the Border – national and international as follows: context; the island economy context for the border region; the border region • [Community Involvement] This economy; the cross-border shopping research has the potential to be phenomenon; producing in the border recognised by policy makers, region economy; tourism and the planners, health professionals and border; and a new approach – the the wider community as contributing Border Development Zone. to more effective participation in decision-making by local The Indecon 2012 evaluation communities in planning hospital summarised the impacts of this project services in the border region, as follows: including in relation to cystic fibrosis • A better understanding of: and cancer care; o The three distinct border sub • [Hospital Planning] Provides a regions and their different coherent framework for considering producer characteristics; cross-border cooperation that can o The identification of clusters of be applied across different areas of activities within these sub- acute hospital services; regions; • Provides an indication of the o The behavour of firms located ‘journey’ that needs to be taken in in these areas and their views of respect of the exemplar services; the border; • Emphasizes Cooperation and o Suggested policy implications Working Together (CAWT) as the relevant body to take forward • Strong synergies with the CroSPlaN cross-border cooperation in hospital project, including helping to services. stimulate an ongoing discussion

146 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 At the launch of the report Unlocking the Potential of Cross-border Hospital Planning on the Island of Ireland: CCBS Deputy Director Ruth Taillon, CAWT Director General Tom Daly, and the report's authors, Shane McQuillan and Vanya Sargent. with local authority chief executives/ cooperation in Ireland. This collaborative county managers and other project with the Euro-Institut in Kehl, stakeholders in the border region Germany was led by the Centre’s on the possible creation of a Border Deputy Director, Ruth Taillon. The Development Zone; highly innovative toolkit it has produced – the first of its kind in the European • Highlighting of data deficits required Union - is designed to guide policy- to study firms in the border region, in makers and EU funders (and to be of particular the paucity of sub-regional particular assistance to the Special data in Northern Ireland (as a result EU Programmes Body in Ireland) in of this study NISRA are consulting thinking through the impact assessment users on the possibility of boosting process, assisting them in designing the sample of businesses in NI for better quality cross-border programmes survey purposes). and projects. It is also designed to help project leaders both improve their 5. IMPACT ASSESSMENT funding applications to EU programmes TOOLKIT FOR CROSS-BORDER and then improve those projects’ COOPERATION implementation. Impact assessment has been used particularly in the health and As part of the integrative work of a environmental sectors in Ireland, North cross-border observatory, the Centre and South, and widely in the European has devised and developed an Impact Union, but not until now in cross-border Assessment Toolkit (IAT) for practical, cooperation. mutually beneficial cross-border

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 147 Among the impacts of this project Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Marino highlighted by the 2012 Indecon Institute of Education, Froebel College evaluation were: of Education and Church of Ireland College of Education in Dublin (Mary • The IA Toolkit has been Immaculate College in Limerick took mainstreamed into the largest part in the exchanges up to 2009). 181 INTERREG programme in Europe, student teachers have taken part in this with its adoption by SEUPB for use exchange project since it was initiated in the INTERREG IVA programme; in 2003 (making it the longest-running • It applies for the first time the of all the North-South exchanges that European Commission’s own impact CCBS have organised). The first four assessment approach in a cross- exchanges were funded by the EU border context; Peace Programme, while the exchanges • There was significant interest in since 2008 have been funded by the the impact assessment framework Standing Conference on Teacher from INTERACT, the organisation Education North and South (SCoTENS) that has responsibility for sharing (see also pages 154-159). expertise across European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) programmes; In October 2008 a study by Dr Maeve • The Transfrontier Euro-Institut Martin of NUI Maynooth on the impact Network (TEIN) plans to develop a of the exchange on the personal version of the impact assessment attitudes and professional practice of framework to be used in different the student teachers who had taken border contexts across Europe; part in it between 2003 and 2007 was • A number of public sector and other completed. Dr Martin concluded: agencies are also interested in using the Toolkit. This project has been a great success in terms of the enduring positive CURRENT EXCHANGE PROJECTS dispositions it has helped to develop among the beneficiaries, the young North-South Student Teacher teachers. These have included: greater Exchange Project (Year Nine) interest in peace and reconciliation issues; greater consciousness of the In March 2013 the North-South Student demands of multicultural classrooms; Teacher Exchange project will enter greater knowledge of the other its ninth year with the latest exchange jurisdiction’s education system and of 11 students to do a key part of curriculum; the invaluable experience their assessed teaching practice in gained from learning from skilled schools in the other Irish jurisdiction. teachers in the other jurisdiction; and The partners with the Centre in this a greatly increased sense of personal project are six of the seven colleges worth and confidence gained through of primary education on the island: participation in the exchange. Stranmillis University College and St Mary’s University College in Belfast; St She called the project ‘a courageous,

148 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Students at the orientation day for the 9th Student Teacher Exchange project in the Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin, January 2013 inclusive and groundbreaking exchange’ social and political setting, the scheme and ‘an experience that has been was actively promoting the objectives of transformational’ for the student peace and reconciliation. teachers involved. CURRENT ADMINISTRATION In an evaluation of SCoTENS between PROJECTS 2003 and 2011 (see also pages 158- 159), Dr John Furlong, Professor of The Centre has filled an important niche Educational Studies at Oxford University, by providing administrative support wrote of the North-South Student to North-South and cross-border Teacher Exchange: initiatives, particularly in the field of education. Many cross-border projects There was strong agreement among are sustained largely through EU funding a number of our respondents that the and the commitment of enthusiastic Student Teacher Exchange scheme individuals, and when the money and was one of SCoTENS’ most significant enthusiasm runs out their absence contributions to the peace process. of a proper administrative structure By giving the next generation of often dooms them to early closure. teachers the opportunity at first hand to The Centre offers this cross-border experience a very different educational, administrative structure, and a detailed

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 149 knowledge of support mechanisms in by leveraging sizeable amounts of both Irish jurisdictions, which can ensure extra money to support its activities. In such projects’ longer-term sustainability. 2007-2011 the Irish-African Partnership for Research Capacity Building (IAP) UNIVERSITIES IRELAND raised €1.5 million from Irish Aid with €110,000 in matching funds from UI. In 2006-2010 the Universities Ireland/ IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council North/ South scholarships raised £183,000 from individual business firms in Dublin and Belfast with the same amount The work of Universities Ireland of matching funding from UI. In the (UI) continued in 2012-2013 with past three years the North/South the Centre acting as its secretariat. scholarships scheme was co-sponsored During the year ran a number of key by ESB (contributing €67,500). projects: the Universities Ireland/ ESB North/South Postgraduate The current chair of Universities Ireland Scholarship scheme; the ‘Reflecting is the President of University College on a decade of War and Revolution Cork/National University of Ireland in Ireland 1912-1923’ programe of Cork, Professor Michael Murphy. The activities and the Irish Section of members of its governing council are Scholars at Risk. the nine university presidents and vice- chancellors; the director of the Open Funding continued to be provided by University in Ireland, plus representatives an annual subscription from the 10 of the Irish Department of Education participating universities (the Open and Skills and the NI Department for University in Ireland became the Employment and Learning. 10th member university in November 2011); and annual grants from the Irish North/South Postgraduate Department of Education and Skills Scholarships and the Northern Ireland Department for The aim of this scheme is to encourage Employment outstanding students from the Republic and Learning. of Ireland and Northern Ireland to cross the border to undertake postgraduate Universities Ireland study and experience life in the other has been able Irish jurisdiction. In 2012-2013 four to overcome the scholarships were awarded, two to disadvantage of being students doing energy and engineering a very small networked subjects (co-sponsored by the Electricity organisation with no Supply Board) and two doing Irish full-time staff and a Studies and history (sponsored by UI small annual income alone). The scholarships are worth of around £150,000 €15,000 each.

150 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Speakers at the Universities Ireland 'Reflecting on a decade of War and Revolution in Ireland 1912- 1923: Historians and Public History' conference in The Royal Hospital Kilmainham in June 2012: From left to right, Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor Jay Winter, Ms Catriona Crowe, Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague, Professor Gearóid Ó Tuaithaigh, Professor John Horne.

This is a scheme have graduated within the past 10 which has been years) proposing to take up a place conceived both on a postgraduate course which would to support the require them to locate to the other Irish continuing process jurisdiction. They are also open to Irish of North-South or Northern Irish-born students currently reconciliation registered at (or who have graduated and to train within the past 10 years from) a British highly-skilled university (i.e. a university in England, postgraduates Scotland or Wales) who wish to to contribute relocate to the Irish jurisdiction they to a new phase of economic and were not born in to undertake a environmental development for postgraduate course. the island. The 2012-2013 winners were: These North/South scholarships are Alison Meagher, a graduate of Trinity open to all students currently registered College Dublin, doing a Masters in Irish at an Irish or a Northern Irish university studies at Queen’s University Belfast or the Open University in Ireland or (sponsored by UI) Dublin Institute of Technology (or who

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 151 Hugh O’Reilly, a graduate of Dublin researchers and other intellectuals who Institute of Technology, doing a Masters suffer threats in their home country. of Science in Advanced Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast In September 2009 the official launch of (co-sponsored by ESB) SAR Ireland Section took place at Trinity College Dublin, followed by a keynote Ryan McCourt, a graduate of Queen’s address by Dr Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian University Belfast, doing a Masters in human rights lawyer, university lecturer History at University College Dublin and author who became the first Muslim (sponsored by UI) woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Conor Henry, a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, doing a Masters Six SAR scholars have so far been in Sustainable Energy and Green hosted by Irish universities using Technologies at University College Universities Ireland funding: a Dublin (co-sponsored by ESB) psychology professor from Iran at University of Limerick; a political This brings to 34 the number of scientist from Iran at Trinity College students who have been awarded these Dublin and University College Dublin; scholarships during the past eight years. a public health specialist from Burma at University College Cork; a human Scholars at Risk: Irish Section rights lawyer from Iran at NUI Galway and Queen’s University Belfast; and two Universities Ireland has been the Iraqi human rights defenders and legal Irish Section of the international scholars at Queen’s University Belfast. inter-university network, Scholars at The Universities Ireland scheme has Risk (SAR), which is based in New inspired four more Irish universities to York University, since 2008. In many host scholars using other resources, countries around the world, scholars and several speaker series have been and academics are attacked because organised. of their words, their ideas and their place in society. Those seeking In addition, faculty at Trinity College power and control work to limit Dublin, University College Cork and access to information and new ideas NUI Galway have contributed to a new by persecuting scholars, restricting SAR initiative to monitor attacks on academic freedom and repressing academic freedom around the world and research, publication, teaching and to circulate monitoring reports to policy learning. Scholars at Risk (SAR) is makers and the public. an international network of universities and colleges responding to these Reflecting on a decade of War and attacks. SAR provides sanctuary in Revolution in Ireland universities, particularly in Europe and North America, to professors, lecturers, In January 2012 the council of Universities Ireland approved a new

152 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 project following The intention is that this will be a an application from high-level, scholarly and sustained a group of leading initiative, and thus a unique historians from contribution to reflection on a decade the universities, of history-changing events by the including Professor island’s intellectual leaders, the 10 Eunan O Halpin universities (and more specifically, their of TCD, Professor Departments of History). Universities Diarmaid Ferriter Ireland is providing funding for an of UCD, Professor annual conference on relevant themes Paul Bew of QUB throughout the decade, the PhD and Professor Gearóid O Tuathaigh bursary scheme, lobbying to improve of NUI Galway. This saw Universities archival access and collaborative history Ireland launching a 12-year programme teaching initiatives. It is intended that of activities to reflect on the 1912- this UI funding should be used to seek 1923 period in Irish history. extra financial support from interested Departments in the Irish and Northern This programme was launched at a Irish governments. major conference in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin on 23rd June The second conference will take place 2012 entitled ‘Reflecting on a decade of in Liberty Hall in Dublin on 15 June War and Revolution in Ireland 1912- 2013 under the title ‘Reflecting on a 1923: Historians and Public History’. decade of War and Revolution in Ireland The keynote speaker was Professor 1912-1923: the Cause of Labour’. The Jay Winter of University of Yale, one keynote speakers will be President of the United States’ most eminent Michael D. Higgins, Professor Ralph historians and a world authority on the Darlington of Salford Business School, First World War and its impact on the an international authority on early 20th 20th century. Other speakers included century trade unionism, and Frances Professor Ferriter and Professor Bew. O’Grady, General Secretary of the The conference was attended by over British TUC. 320 people. Other Initiatives Another element in this project’s first year was the award of two €20,000 In January 2012 a delegation of bursaries to PhD students studying university heads from Universities Ireland the 1912-1923 period. The first two travelled to Aberdeen to meet Scottish winners of these bursaries were Stephen university principals at Robert Gordon McQuillan, doing a study of international University, now headed by Professor recognition of the emerging Irish state in Ferdinand von Prondzynski (formerly 1919-1922 at Trinity College Dublin and president of Dublin City University). They Paul Lavery, studying urban also met the Scottish Cabinet Secretary warfare in Dublin in 1919-1923 at (Minister) for Education, Michael Russell. University of Ulster. They discussed a number of areas

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 153 where Irish-Northern Irish-Scottish Conferences inter-university collaboration might be enhanced, including inter-university SCoTENS’ 10th ‘research pooling’ (which the Scottish annual conference, universities have developed to a on ‘Creative high degree). Teachers for Creative Learners: A return visit to Dublin by Mr Russell Implications for and the Scottish university heads is Teacher Education’, planned for 2013, and at time of writing was held on 11-12 Universities Ireland is discussing dates October 2012 in the Radisson Blu with the offices of Mr Russell and Irish Farnham Estate Hotel in Cavan. It Minister for Education and Skills, was opened by the Irish Minister for Ruairi Quinn. Education and Skills, Mr Ruairi Quinn TD and the NI Minister for Education, The Universities Ireland website is at Mr John O’Dowd MLA. The keynote www.universitiesireland.ie speaker was Sir Ken Robinson, the internationally renowned expert on creativity and innovation (who spoke via a video link from the USA); Sacha STANDING CONFERENCE ON Abercorn, the Duchess of Abercorn, TEACHER EDUCATION, NORTH who spoke on the Pushkin Prizes AND SOUTH (SCOTENS) creative writing competition for primary schoolchildren; Professor Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy) at the Open University; and Professor Lisbeth Goodman, Chair of Creative Technology Innovation and Professor of Education at University College Dublin. The Centre also acts as the secretariat for the Standing The conference featured workshops on Conference on Teacher Education, critical reflection in science teaching and North and South. This was set learning; primary teachers’ perspectives up in 2003 by a group of senior on creativity, imagination and innovation; teacher education specialists from primary children’s use of iPads; and universities, colleges of education ‘tensions between imagination and and other education agencies subversion in teacher education.’ in both jurisdictions. The 2012- 2013 joint chairs of SCoTENS are Two reports were launched at the Professor Linda Clarke, Head of the conference. The SCoTENS 2011 School of Education at University conference and anual report, of Ulster and Mr Tomás Ó Ruairc, Promoting Literacy and Numeracy Director of the Teaching through Teacher Education, Council (Ireland). was launched by Brigid McManus, former Secretary General of the

154 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Department of Education and Skills. in education The 2011 compilation research report (five); autism; – Exploring Japanese Lesson dyslexia, literacy Study as a Model of Peer-to-Peer and inclusion; Professional Learning; Effective the competences Mentoring in Physical Education approach to Teacher Education, and Domestic teacher professional Abuse: Using Arts-based Education development; to help Student Teachers learn and teaching about the Context and Impact on controversial history Children – was launched by Professor (1916 and the Battle of Harry McMahon, former Professor of the Somme). Education at University of Ulster and co- founder of SCoTENS. Research

Previous SCoTENS’ annual conferences It has also provided seed funding for were on 'Promoting Literacy and North-South research projects on the Numeracy through Teacher Education' in social/national identity of young children 2011; ‘Reflective Practice – Challenges in the border region; ICT in teacher for Teacher Education’ in 2009; ‘School education; children with profound Leadership Policy and Practice, North and multiple learning difficulties; and South’ in 2008; ‘Teaching in the student teacher exchanges; student Knowledge Society’ in 2007; ‘Teacher perceptions of history, geography Education and Schools: Together and science; school-based work in Towards Improvement’ in 2006; ‘Teacher colleges of education; the professional Education for Citizenship in Diverse development of teachers working with Societies’ in 2005; ‘The Changing students with special educational needs; Contexts of Teacher Education, North examining assessment procedures and South’ (with a particular emphasis for trainee teachers; universities’ role on Teaching Councils) in 2004; and in continuing teacher professional ‘Challenges to Teacher Education and development; work-placed learning Research, North and South’ in 2003. models in post-compulsory teacher education; measuring the value of SCoTENS has also provided seed education technologies; primary student funding for North-South and all-island teachers’ mathematical identities; conferences on social, scientific and Realistic Mathematics Education; environmental education (six); initial consulting pupils on remediation of teacher education, citizenship and their specific literacy difficulties; student diversity education (two); educational teachers and the needs of pupils with research; special educational needs autism spectrum disorder; English as an (two); social justice education in initial additional language in undergraduate teacher education (two); language teacher education; inclusion and teacher education; post-primary diversity in post-primary education; religious education; doctoral research the experiences of primary teachers

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 155 in teaching healthy development activity eating guidelines; in initial teacher building North-South education. links in global justice education; primary A total of 86 North- school physical South research, education; arts-based conference and educational research; exchange projects the digitisation of Irish have received historical education financial support documents; sixth from SCoTENS in the period 2003-2013 year religion; peer and 19 reports have been published. mentoring in teacher The 2012-2013 projects funded were: education; spoken mentor pedagogies to support pre- Irish in Irish-medium schools; the service teachers on teaching practice; ‘lift off’ literacy programme for Irish early number concepts; managing medium schools; good practice in the early years transition practices; nuns in teaching of pupils from ethnic minorities; education, North and South; a cross- continous professional development border doctoral research in education for teaching practice supervisors; a conference; cyber-bullying and the law; framework for further education teaching threshold concepts in language teacher qualifications; capacity-building in Initial education; and the creative education Teacher Education; disablist bullying; infrastructure of Ireland. art and design in teacher education; mentoring physical education teachers; Another 25 applications were received Japanese research lessons in peer-to- in February 2013. Eight projects were peer professional learning; teachers selected: ‘Navigating the continuum: understanding children exposed to from student teacher to profesional domestic abuse; adult education practitioner’; teaching political history practitioners exploring online and arts- in primary schools; exploring the based reflection; assessment in teacher potential for transformative workplace education North and South; exploration learning by and for teachers; a cross- of mathematical identity using narrative border doctoral research in education as a tool; science enhancement and conference; ‘creative classrooms: learning through exchange/collaboration insights from imaginative and innovative among teachers; North-South teaching in Ireland North and South’; educational partnerships in development addressing fundamental movement contexts; teachers’ views on the skill training; the Programming Studio factors influencing their profesional (games-based mathematics education); development; new challenges/new and ‘Dyslexia in Ireland: the provison for opportunities in spiritual education; pupils with dyslexia since the publication promoting an active ‘restorative of the 2002 Task Force Reports, North school’ learning community North and and South.’ South; and writing as a profesional

156 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Speakers at the SCoTENS 10th Annual Conference in the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, in October 2012: From left to right, Professor Teresa O'Doherty, N Ireland Minister for Education Mr John O'Dowd MLA, Dr Anne Looney, Irish Minister for Education and Skills Mr Ruairi Quinn TD, Professor Teresa Cremin, Mr Gavin Boyd, Dr Tom Hesketh.

The significant increase in applications special education, citizenship education in 2013 can be partly explained by and teaching and learning with digital SCoTENS administrator Patricia video. This has led to a sharp increase McAllister setting up a ‘matching in the number of users. Its interactive service’ to allow researchers – and special needs section, developed by particularly new researchers – to take Dr Noel Purday of Stranmillis advantage of the SCoTENS mailing list University College, is a particularly to find research partners in the other popular element. Irish jurisdiction. Under this service Patricia receives a request for a cross- SCoTENS also sponsors the ground- border partner from a researcher in one breaking North-South Student Teacher jurisdiction and circulates it to the 1100 Exchange, now in its eighth year, which people on the SCoTENS mailing list. brings student teachers from the island’s One University College Cork researcher seven colleges of primary education to received 34 replies to her query in do a key part of their assessed teacher January 2013. practice in the other jurisdiction (see also pages 148-149). The SCoTENS website (http://scotens. org) has been updated in recent years SCoTENS is funded by annual grants and highlights, in particular, resources on from the Department of Education

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 157 and Science, and the Department for of networks and encouraged Employment and Learning and the communication and contacts between Department of Education (Northern significant numbers of teacher educators Ireland). A significant proportion of in the North and South of Ireland. its funding comes from institutional Many respondents felt that through subscriptions from its 37 members, who SCoTENS they had developed a greater are universities, colleges of education, knowledge and understanding of the institutes of technology (RoI), further and educational systems and practices higher education colleges (NI), teaching across the island of Ireland. The forms of councils, education trade unions, collaboration encouraged by SCoTENS education centres, curriculum councils have, we found, stimulated genuine and other bodies involved with teacher professional and personal development; education. they have also, many of our respondents believed, contributed to the peace Evaluation process by helping to normalise relationships within and between North In September 2011 SCoTENS received and South. There was widespread belief an extremely positive evaluation for its that despite its achievements, without work between 2003 and 2011 from a SCoTENS’ continued existence, those team led by Professor John Furlong achievements would rapidly fade’. of Oxford University’s Department of Education. A number of respondents commented how SCoTENS had strategically The report’s conclusions were glowing: positioned itself to support the work ‘Taken over all, the findings of our of the Departments of Education, evaluation are overwhelmingly positive. North and South, and as a result it Despite limited and precarious funding, was regarded very positively by those significant dependence on the goodwill Departments. One senior of volunteers and the support of a academic said: paid secretariat with myriad other responsibilities, it has achieved an Perhaps SCoTENS’ greatest enormous amount. For those aware achievement has been a more direct of and involved in its work, there is alignment between the interest and substantial evidence that SCoTENS is actions of the teacher education highly valued across Ireland. Many of community and the education reform those we spoke to believed that the priorities of government departments, majority of the initiatives SCoTENS has north and south. One indicator of led – conferences, research projects, the departmental acknowledgement of such student exchange programme – would has been the continuation of central simply not have happened without funding despite a vast change in the the organisation; its leadership and economic circumstances. Another administration were vital.’ has been the generous and pointed endorsement of the work of SCoTENS ‘Our evidence makes clear that by Ministers and their officials, including SCoTENS has enabled the development a consideration of our work as part of a

158 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 North South Ministerial Council meeting extensive reports; organising highly in 2010. topical conferences; building networks; developing toolkits or resources.’ On its leadership and organisation, the Respondents argued that of particular evaluators noted: ‘Since its inception, value were the North-South processes SCoTENS has had the benefit of and networks enabled by this three very significant figures working seed funding. for it - Professor John Coolahan, as one of the two initial academics who The annual SCoTENS conferences were helped to establish the organisation, very highly regarded: ‘an overwhelming Andy Pollak, Director of the Centre for majority of respondents who had Cross Border Studies and Secretary attended them thought that they offered of SCoTENS, and Patricia McAllister, them good opportunities for professional SCoTENS administrator. Professor dialogue, helped them learn about Coolahan, although now formally retired, education elsewhere in Ireland, helped continues to play a key role in the them develop their informal contacts organisation, particularly in terms of its and networks across the island and their links with political leaders and senior own professional practice ‘. officials especially in the Republic. Of the senior academics we met, it was clear The SCoTENS website was also praised that Professor Coolahan was the most by the evaluators as ‘a rich resource’ sensitive and skilful in understanding containing ‘much helpful and highly and negotiating the complex political informative material which is, in many terrain that an organisation such as cases, of a very high quality.’ SCoTENS has to face. The fact that the organisation has thrived so successfully At an ‘away day’ in September 2012 to for eight years, we felt, was in no small discuss the findings of the evaluation, part due to his expert leadership’. its team leader, Professor John Furlong, called SCoTENS ‘an incredible The report also praised the quality of achievement’. administrative support provided by Ms McAllister, which was ‘universally Website acknowledged’, and Mr Pollak’s ‘vision The SCoTENS website is at http:// in relation to the broader politics of scotens.org cross-border work and his ability to develop appropriate networks beyond the teacher education community’. The evaluation said that all the completed research projects seed funded by SCoTENS (receiving £2000- £6000 each) were ‘generally judged to be very good value for money by, for example: developing sizeable teams involved in research projects; preparing

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 159 INTERNATIONAL CENTRE universities and research institutions FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL including Queen's University Belfast, DEVELOPMENT Mary Immaculate College-University of Limerick, Harvard University, the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland, and HafenCity University Hamburg. In 2012, we also expanded our joint initiatives with other organisations involved in cross-border research and The International Centre for Local activities including: Cooperation Ireland, and Regional Development (ICLRD) the Institute for British-Irish Studies is a North-South-U.S. partnership (IBIS) at University College Dublin (UCD) established in 2006 to explore and and the Border Regional Authority. The expand the contribution that planning ICLRD is very open to involving other and the development of physical, academics and research institutions in social and economic infrastructures its activities. can make to improving the lives of people on the island of Ireland and The Director of the ICLRD is Mr. John elsewhere. The partner institutions are: Driscoll, Vice-President of the IIUD in the National Institute for Regional and Cambridge, Mass; the Deputy Director Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) at the National is Ms. Caroline Creamer of NIRSA, NUI University of Ireland, Maynooth; the Maynooth and the Assistant Director School of the Built Environment at the is Dr. Neale Blair of School of the Built University of Ulster; the Institute for Environment, University of Ulster. International Urban Development (IIUD) in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and In 2012, the ICLRD was supported by the Centre for Cross Border Studies in the EU’s INTERREG IVA Programme Armagh. Each partner brings together through the Special EU Programmes complementary expertise and networks Body, the Irish Government through the on both a North-South Department of Environment, Community and East-West basis and Local Government (DoECLG)

International Centre for Local – creating a unique, all- and the Northern Ireland Executive and Regional Development island and international through the Department for Regional centre. Development (DRD) and the Department for Social Development (DSD). The The ICLRD continues ICLRD has, over the years, also received Partner Institutes National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA), NUI Maynooth School of the Built Environment, University of Ulster Institute for International Urban Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts Centre for Cross Border Studies, Armagh to expand its funding from the International Fund for collaboration with Ireland (IFI) as well as for commissioned other institutions and research from InterTradeIreland, the has built up close Strategic Investment Board for Northern

VISUAL 3 working relationships Ireland (SIB) and the Irish Central Border with individual faculty Area Network (ICBAN). and researchers from

160 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The ICLRD provides independent, competitiveness with local planning joined-up research and policy advice and development as a way to remedy on cross-border and all-island spatial the continuing problems of social planning and local and regional disadvantage. development. The Centre plays a role in peace and reconciliation on the island Current research projects by bringing together policy-makers, practitioners and academics, North and Each year the ICLRD undertakes action South, to work on common goals in the research that contributes to a better areas of coordinated spatial planning understanding of the complex all-island and social and economic development and cross-border dynamics and drivers at local, regional and national levels. It of change in Irish towns and rural areas, does this through research, policy advice including cross-border communities. and publications; professional education Since its inception, the ICLRD has and capacity building programmes organised its work around three spatial that assist local governments and scales: EU and all-island; sub-regional, communities to translate policy which includes cross-border; and local. into ‘on the ground’ action; and Through its activities, the ICLRD is active outreach and networking that facilitating forums to foster the exchange includes conferences, workshops and of experience and best practices. international cooperation and exchanges It is also supporting North-South / to identify best practices. East-West inter-regional cooperation, including on a cross-border basis, as Stimulating economic growth and encouraged by the European Union. improving living conditions to alleviate and prevent social conflict is at the The emphasis of the ICLRD’s work heart of the Centre’s mission. The programme in 2012 was the completion ICLRD is focused on building the of its research programme under the capacity of regional and local authorities, Cross-Border Spatial Planning development agencies, border and Training Network, Phase 1 networks and community and voluntary (CroSPlaN-1), an EU INTERREG organisations to identify strategic areas IVA-funded programme administered of cooperation. by the Special EU Programmes Body. Concluded in March 2012, CroSPlaN Through its research and professional was a programme of research, training education programmes, the ICLRD and workshops in Northern Ireland and works with policy-makers and local the Southern border counties which leaders to improve the environments operated in association with the Centre in which people in Ireland, North and for Cross Border Studies as part of the South, live and work, with particular Ireland/Northern Ireland Cross-border emphasis on the needs of marginalised Cooperation Observatory (INICCO). and divided communities. It combines the promotion of regional planning Building on the success of CroSPlaN and development as a tool for – and INICCO – the spring-early

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 161 summer of 2012 was given over to (ICBAN) Spatial Planning Initiative and the development of a business plan to specifically its Data Capture Project and secure further funding under INTERREG Regional Vision Plan; the North West IVA. In November 2012, we learnt our Partnership Board and its potential role endeavours had been successful, and in progressing the North West Gateway in February 2013 a second phase of Initiative; and the SPACEial data capture INICCO and CroSPlaN commenced. and indicators project implemented by the North West Region Cross-Border There are three inter-linked components Group. As noted in the evaluation of to CroSPlaN-2, which will provide the CroSPlaN-1 programme by Indecon sustained support to territorial Economic Consultants, its activities cooperation in the Irish border region. ’must be regarded as a ‘soft’ support The three elements are: to the sustainable development of the • Shared Services – to identify border region’ and ‘the synergies they opportunities, and operational produce should not be underestimated’. frameworks, for joint initiatives The Indecon evaluation further noted the that improve the delivery of public key role of the ICLRD as an advocate services; this will occur through / animator of change, and facilitator action research and two pilot between the policy-praxis divide in the initiatives to demonstrate practical Irish border region. models for cooperation in delivering front-line or specialised services; Providing researchers, policy-makers • Executive Training – building on and practitioners with timely access the successful ICLRD model linking to data and information to better training and animation, to develop understand the implications of and deliver executive training for development trends and patterns has cross-border councils; been an important part of ICLRD’s work • Evidence-Based Planning – to since 2007. Under the CroSPlaN-1 map the compatible 2011 census programme, the ICLRD, together data from the Republic of Ireland with its sister organisation, the All- and Northern Ireland, and develop Island Research Observatory (AIRO), an updated deprivation index in completed four applied research an on-line, user-friendly format to activities that provide both mapping support collaboration among central tools and recommendations on how government departments across the data and information can be used to island. monitor the implementation of spatial strategies. Three highly interactive Evidence-based planning mapping tools are available on the AIRO website (www.airo.ie): In 2012, the ICLRD and its partners continued to provide support to different • The All-Island Accessibility cross-border activities in local and Mapping Tool (2012) maps regional development. These included: levels of access to key services the Irish Central Border Area Network’s across the island in areas such as

162 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 education, health, transport and practitioners and emergency services. policy-makers involved in spatial • The All-Island Deprivation Index planning and (2012) facilitates, for the first time, a local and regional comparative analysis of deprivation development. at a regional level throughout the island. This Index can supplement The January 2013 the existing indices used within edition of the Journal Ireland and Northern Ireland that are was launched at incompatible with each other and the eighth annual ICLRD conference, help researchers, communities and and includes articles on cross-border programmes to better understand health data; the work of the International the spatial distribution of deprivation. Fund for Ireland from 1986-2011; Both AIRO and ICLRD will further the regeneration of Limerick; the test this methodology with the planners’ toolkit and the importance 2011 Census data for Ireland and of interdependence to overcome Northern Ireland. fragmentation of processes and actors; territorial cohesion and EU 2020; • The Island of Ireland Housing transport policy and the role of scenario Monitoring Tool (2011) provides modelling in determining economic an interactive mapping and querying development patterns; spatial planners tool for housing market indicators, as managers of change; a transatlantic combining for the first time data exploration of planning frameworks and from both Ireland and Northern strategies; and local government Ireland. The mapped outputs in transition. assist in understanding the spatial implications and outcomes of policy The second issue decisions and interventions over of Borderlands: The time. Journal of Spatial Planning in Ireland The fourth element of this work was launched by programme, the research study Towards Frank McDonald, a Spatial Monitoring Framework for the Environment Editor Island of Ireland: A Scoping Study (see of The Irish Times, also page 167) is available to download in January 2012 at from the ICLRD website. the seventh annual ICLRD conference. Articles in this issue ICLRD Journal: Borderlands focused on cross-border river basin management; pathways to managing Borderlands: The Journal of Spatial regional growth; modelling infrastructure Planning in Ireland is published on investments; the development of a an annual basis and covers a range cross-border deprivation index; marine of topics of interest to academics, spatial planning and its role in the

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 163 management of ocean resources; programmes for council officials, elected reinstating ‘kids’ into planning policy representatives and the private sector and practice; and the key links between for three areas in the Irish border region: spatial planning, data and housing • Irish Central Border Area Network policies. Copies of the articles are now Region (ICBAN) available to download off the ICLRD • The Northwest Region website, www.iclrd.org • Newry/Dundalk Twin City Region.

The inaugural issue Each programme was tailored to help of Borderlands: The local governments and the business Journal of Spatial community to engage with the Planning in Ireland spatial planning agenda and build an was launched at awareness of the benefits of regional the sixth annual cooperation among local governments ICLRD conference and other key stakeholders in the in January 2011. border region. Each programme This issue included introduced carefully selected case articles on the studies of international good practice challenges of planning and governance and external speakers, and facilitated reform on both sides of the Irish border; working groups to help participants to planning for sustainable communities; assess their current level of cross-border balancing private sector interests with cooperation; develop suggestions for the ‘common good’ in planning; cross- improvement; and propose institutional border planning in the greater Basel mechanisms to promote future region between Switzerland, France collaboration. and Germany; and how NGOs and academics in the Boston region have ICBAN Region Training Programme: pioneered new methods of evidence- October 2011 – December 2011 informed planning. Contributors to the This six-module training programme, inaugural issue included Professor Peter Harnessing diversity in a shared Roberts (Homes and Communities future, was developed in association Agency), Professor Greg Lloyd with the 10 councils that make up (University of Ulster), Charlotte Kahn the Irish Central Border Area – five (Boston Indicators Project), Holly St North and five South. As with the Clair (Boston Metropolitan Area Planning previous programmes, the modules Council) and ICLRD partners. The were delivered through a mix of invited journal was launched by Mary Bunting expert speakers, facilitated working and Anne Barrington, Joint Secretaries group discussions and wider networking of the North South Ministerial Council. opportunities through additional seminars and workshops. Unlike the Professional education previous programmes, this training programme engaged with senior Under the CroSPlaN-1 initiative, the management only from the 10 councils. ICLRD held professional education

164 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 This programme has helped local border activities of the Donegal County authorities in this cross-border region Development Plan, the North West to identify opportunities for potential Partnership Board, and the ‘One Plan cooperation in the identified priority for Derry-Londonderry’. Having won the areas of shared services; tourism, designation as UK Capital of Culture culture, diaspora and creative industries; for 2013, potential thematic areas for and energy and renewables. It provided cooperation for Derry/Londonderry an intense space (the modules were include tourism, creative industries and held at two-week intervals) in which cultural programming. Other priority the councils worked together to cross-border themes include enterprise research and refine local and regional development, vocational training and development issues for the area, as job creation, and the green economy well as activities linked to the ongoing and sustainable energy. There are also ICBAN-led, INTERREG-funded Spatial important cross-cutting themes such as Planning Initiative. For example, over greater accessibility to the Northwest the coming months, the councils – with region, transportation and spatial the support of both the ICLRD and planning. ICBAN – will feed their conclusions and recommendations into the regional Newry/Dundalk Spatial Vision Plan that has been Twin City recently commissioned by ICBAN. Region Training Programme: Northwest Training Programme: November 2009 – October 2010 – June 2011 May 2010 This programme focused on the Building on a theme of Fostering Growth through previous ICLRD Cooperation in the Northwest Region. initiative, The Newry- Donegal County Council, Derry City Dundalk Twin City Council, the ILEX Regeneration Region: Supporting Company and representatives of the the Implementation of Cross-Border Strabane and Limavady District Councils Collaborative Frameworks (January participated in the programme, which 2009), the ICLRD organised a training aimed to lead to a deeper understanding programme, Shaping and Managing of the potential of the Northwest region Cross-Border Development, for council and the role of a cross-border Strategic officials, councillors and private sector Partnership Board in furthering strategic representatives from Newry and Mourne cooperation in the linked gateway District Council, Louth Local Authorities between Letterkenny and Derry/ and Down District Council. The training Londonderry. raised awareness of the challenges and opportunities that the region faces, as The materials introduced through well as the need for collaborative action, the modules and ideas generated including the creation of stronger links through working group discussions between the communities in the wider were incorporated into the cross-

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 165 Newry-Dundalk Twin-City region, such both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. as Drogheda and Banbridge. The briefing paper, a companion paper to the international cases on shared As a follow-up, Newry and Mourne services noted below, synthesises and Louth councils requested ICLRD ICLRD’s research to date on this topic assistance to develop a cooperation as well as presentations by experts on agreement that built on their existing the topic delivered during the ICLRD areas of cooperation, and opened up executive training programmes – with further opportunities for the sharing of a particular focus on the Irish border services and joint management of key region. The paper reflects on potential resources. The ICLRD outlined different directions and approaches that could be types of instruments and institutional incorporated into current programmes structures that could be used to for providing services in a financially facilitate cross-border cooperation and constrained economic context. worked with the councils to draft a Memorandum of Understanding that Shared Services identified the initial areas of cooperation. across Local These included emergency planning; Government renewable energy and green technology; – Sharing tourism and recreation; and sustainable International economic growth and job creation. Experiences (2012) Cooperative structures included a This report explores joint Committee of Elected Members; international a joint Senior Management Group; an experiences in Advisory Forum; and project teams for shared services and implementation. The MoU was approved local government by the respective councils in November reform in four locations: Glasgow 2010 and launched in Brussels in and the Clyde Valley in Scotland; March 2011. Mancomunidades in the Asturias Region of Spain; New York’s Shared Services Completed research projects Programme; and Local Government Restructuring and Realignment in Briefing Report on Ontario, Canada. The cases illustrate the Shared Services: rethinking of cooperation in the delivery Propositions for of public services in geographical areas Local Government that may include more than one local Collaboration authority, and how both structured and (2012) voluntary associations can be used to This research provide a range of services. The cases focuses on the also highlight the associated challenges timely issue of of multi-level governance in the provision shared services of services, and the importance of and discusses the leadership and trust in paving the way emerging shared services agenda for for future cooperation. This research

166 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 will be of interest to senior management The Elbe River in local government and regional Basin District: authorities, regional development Integrated agencies, cross-border networks and Cross Border agencies, and national policy-makers. Management in Practice (2012) Towards a Spatial This detailed case Monitoring study focuses on Framework for the the States of Berlin Island of Ireland: and Brandenburg A Scoping Study in Germany and (2012) the Elbe International River Basin This report focuses District (IRBD). It demonstrates how on the application one catchment area applied both of data for the regulatory and non-regulatory measures purpose of informing to integrate water quality improvements policy decisions, with regional land-use plans. This in particular with respect to the policy document presents many insights of objectives and strategic ambitions relevance to International River Basin of the National Spatial Strategy for Districts and the EU Water Framework the Republic of Ireland (NSS) and Directive implementation on the island of the Regional Development Strategy Ireland more broadly. for Northern Ireland (RDS). It draws on international experience at the The Connecticut European level and elsewhere in the River Basin: UK. The report responds to the need Integrating for a joined-up approach to evidence- Water Quality based planning given the emergence of Improvements multiple spatial planning initiatives in the with Regional Irish cross-border region. International Land Use Plans studies and experience indicate the (2012) importance of evidence-informed This US case study approaches to decision making, but also demonstrates how the dangers of relying on statistical or one watershed quantitative information without taking applied both regulatory and non- due account of the underlying processes regulatory measures to integrate water the data represents. This is often quality improvements with regional represented as ‘data rich but insight land-use plans. It describes how poor’. The study provides a valuable regional partnerships, and in particular source of expert advice for policy- collaboration with civic society, are makers and practitioners at national and instrumental in managing river basins regional government levels. that span multiple jurisdictions. It notes that while EU directives and legislation are important in setting the regulatory

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 167 parameters, individual river basins need The study raises important questions champions to drive regional partnerships regarding the role of spatial planning that bring together officials, politicians, in environmental management and civil society, recreational users, sets out seven key requirements environmental organisations, landowners for effective coordination between and the private sector to improve water river basin management and spatial quality and enhance opportunities for planning. These requirements include (re)connecting with the river through recommendations in relation to recreational uses. communication, development of expertise, leadership capacity, allocation Responding to of resources and inter-jurisdictional the Environmental cooperation. Challenge? Spatial Planning, Governance Cross-Border and Planning: Cooperation An International and River Basin Perspective (2010) Management The ICLRD (2011) published a series This study of international case examines the key studies in inter- role that spatial planning should play jurisdictional and in the implementation of River Basin cross-boundary Management Plans (RBMP) under the governance and EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). planning to complement the study The study takes an all-island and cross- All Change But Any Alignment? border perspective and draws key (see below). This research presents insights through ‘good practice’ case examples of innovative practice in studies from Germany and the United collaboration in the following areas: States. • Basel Metropolitan Area – spanning Germany, France and Switzerland, The study sets out strategic options this case study highlights emerging regarding the governance of RBMP cross-border cooperation in spatial and WFD implementation in both planning at the sub-regional level; Ireland and Northern Ireland. These • Mancomunidades in Spain – focuses options, drawing on research and on provision of services through interviews with key stakeholders, can inter-municipal collaboration at the inform discussions among government level of the micro-region; and departments, environmental agencies • Boston Metropolitan Area – and other public sector bodies on provides examples of how to both sides of the Irish border. The promote regional development case studies pay particular attention through cooperation among to the benefits of joint management local governments, metropolitan of International River Basin Districts. planning organisations, the

168 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 business community and research Developing a organisations. Strategic Alliance between Newry Together, the three case studies highlight and Mourne how territorial cooperation, particularly in District Council the EU, is moving towards ‘place-based and the Louth strategies’ as promoted in the EU 2020 Local Authorities: Strategy. Background Report (2010) All Change But Louth Local Any Alignment? Authorities and Newry and Mourne The Impact of District Council took a major step in the the Proposed promotion of cross-border partnership Governance and in the border region with the signing of a Planning Reforms Memorandum of Understanding in 2011 Across the Island to cooperate in a number of thematic of Ireland on Inter- areas, including emergency planning, Jurisdictional renewable energy and green technology, Planning (2010) tourism and recreation, sustainable This report focuses economic growth and job creation. on inter-jurisdictional planning and multi- level governance and was published In support of this development, the on the ICLRD website. The study ICLRD report considered a variety considers: of legal instruments to facilitate • The various iterations of and cross-border cooperation, including processes involved in the Euroregions, European Groupings Northern Ireland Review of Public for Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs), Administration, specifically as European Economic Interest Groupings it relates to the reform of local (EEIGs) and ad hoc agreements. It government; recommended that the cross-border • If and/or how inter-jurisdictional local authorities adopt a legally non- spatial planning policies and binding Memorandum of Understanding operations will be more closely as the basis for cooperation, with the aligned following the various reforms agreement able to be expanded to to governance and planning on the include other regional stakeholders in island of Ireland; and the future. • Whether, in the context of the current economic downturn, there Following the signing of the is greater political and community Memorandum of Understanding, a new support for the alignment of spatial Louth/Newry and Mourne Joint Council planning policies. Committee was established to progress joint initiatives and the two Councils are

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 169 now sharing council officers and staff in Safe, Integrated and Sustainable a common office to implement the MoU. Communities (2009) This research project investigated Delineating initiatives in Northern Ireland and the Functional Republic of Ireland to improve and Territories Across build subsidised housing in mixed the Island of communities through the lens of six Ireland: An Initial case studies: Springfarm (Antrim), the Scoping (2010) Irish Street and Gobnascale interface This report (Londonderry/Derry) and Carran considered the Crescent (Enniskillen) in Northern Ireland; various options for and Cranmore (Sligo), Mahon (Cork) mapping functional and Adamstown (Dublin) in the Republic territories across of Ireland. Together, they provided a the island of Ireland. In undertaking a cross-section of the challenges faced preliminary analysis of Functional Urban by communities working to promote or Areas (FUAs) of the Irish / Northern Irish provide mixed housing; the strategies urban systems, the study included maps that have helped address these of natural catchments, travel-to-work challenges, and opportunities to create catchments, origin-destination data, and maintain housing that is safe, gravity models and urban functional prosperous and open to all. The six case specialisations. The focus of Phase I studies were published in association was to explore the various possibilities of with the Northern Ireland Housing mapping functional territories to produce Executive (NIHE) in Belfast and the a set of outputs based on datasets Housing Agency in Dublin. that were available to the research team. The resulting report illustrated Rural the contribution that dynamic spatial Restructuring: analysis of urban functions can make Local Sustainable in the profiling of the relational status, Solutions to the performance and potential of urban Rural Challenge centres across the island. The research (2009) was carried out by a multi-disciplinary This report was team within ICLRD launched in June and funded by the 2009 by the Minister Higher Education of Agriculture and Authority (HEA). Rural Development (DARD), Michelle Gildernew MLA. The Living Together – culmination of a 12-month research An Investigation project, the research considered the of Case Studies role of rural restructuring and economic and Strategies diversification, together with the growing for Promoting importance of the urban-rural interface, in the achievement of balanced spatial

170 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 development. The research focused models of cooperation to assist in their on three rural areas: Draperstown in implementation. Magherafelt District, Emyvale-Truagh- Aughnacloy on the Monaghan-Tyrone The resulting report was launched in border, and Duhallow on the Cork-Kerry February 2009 by Conor Murphy MP border. MLA, Minister for Regional Development in Northern Ireland, and John Gormley Both Draperstown and Duhallow have TD, Minister for the Environment, been engaged in a process of rural Heritage and Local Government of the restructuring for the past 25 years and Republic of Ireland, at the Carrickdale have built up a wealth of experience Hotel, Ravensdale, Dundalk, County over this time. For Emyvale-Truagh- Louth. The report brought together Aughnacloy, the challenges facing this recent and current research on how rural community have been further to realise the benefits of cross-border exacerbated by its cross-border location collaboration in the Newry-Dundalk sub- and the impact of decades of back- region through integrated planning and to-back policy development across development strategies. both administrations (North and South). Building on over 80 interviews, as well Fostering Mutual as a wealth of secondary data, the Benefits in Cross- research team also developed a series Border Areas: The of working papers on each area and Challenges and held a one-day conference on the issue Opportunities in of rural restructuring in May 2009. Connecting Irish Border Towns and Newry-Dundalk Villages (2008) Twin City Region: This 18-month Supporting the research project Implementation focused on the inter- of Cross-Border relationships between cross-border Collaborative towns and villages in the Irish Border Frameworks region. The final report was launched in (2009) Blacklion, County Cavan in November ICLRD undertook 2008 by the author Colm Toibin. The this research research considered the relationship initiative in and connectivity that exist between five cooperation with Louth County cross-border settlement groupings, and Council, the Newry Mourne District identified and examined the challenges Council, Dundalk Town Council and facing and opportunities within these InterTradeIreland. Its objective was to micro-regions. The Border towns and identify (a) potential projects that could villages included in the study were: bring long-term benefits to the ‘twin • Lifford-Strabane city’ region of Newry-Dundalk and (b) • Kiltyclogher-Cashel/Scribbagh- Garrison-Rossinver

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 171 • Blacklion-Belcoo-Glenfarne Spatial Strategies on the Island • Clones-Rosslea-Newtownbutler- of Ireland: Development of a Lisnaskea Framework for Collaborative Action • Castleblayney-Crossmaglen (2006) This report was prepared by the ICLRD The key objective of this study was to and commissioned by identify good practices in joined-up InterTradeIreland on behalf of the planning and regeneration for inter- Department of the Environment, connected, cross-border areas, with Heritage and Local Government in the a particular emphasis on collaborative Republic of Ireland and the Department efforts that have supported local for Regional Development in Northern economic development, social cohesion Ireland. The report outlined measures and mutual benefits. In addition, to better align spatial planning, the study sought to identify factors infrastructure and cross-border projects associated with successful collaboration to support long-term economic through reviewing projects with a history competitiveness, and was endorsed of successful interaction and outcomes by the British-Irish Intergovernmental including institutional frameworks for Conference. Both Governments collaboration. committed themselves to developing a framework for collaborative action The Atlas of the Island of Ireland between the two existing spatial – Mapping Social and Economic strategies on the Island. Change (2008) On the occasion of the ICLRD third Conferences annual conference in January 2008, ICLRD and Eighth Annual AIRO launched Conference: The Atlas of Cooperating the Island of across Ireland, a set Boundaries: of detailed Resilience, full colour Imagination, maps and cartograms of varied socio- Vision...and economic indicators across the island. Information The Atlas, co-authored by Justin 7 February 2013, Gleeson, Rob Kitchin, Brendan Bartley, Canal Court Hotel, John Driscoll, Ronan Foley, Stewart Newry Fotheringham and Chris Lloyd, was launched by Tommie Gorman, Northern This one-day conference, attended Editor of Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE). by over 100 people, considered what type of cooperative models should be pursued in the context of ongoing local government reform, continued austerity, the increasing availability of data and

172 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 the unceasing need for strategic responsibility for Planning and Climate development. Change; Professor Rob Kitchen, Director, National Institute of Regional The conference was organised and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) at NUI around three themed sessions. The Maynooth and Mary Bunting, former first explored the role of planning and Northern Joint Secretary of the North regeneration in creating resilient places South Ministerial Council. and connected communities. The second considered how to encourage Seventh Annual and support shared opportunities in the Conference: provision of services and the promotion Planning for a of strategic cooperation. The third New Future: Can gave participants a chance to debate Planning and the extent to which inter-municipal Cross-Border and cross-jurisdictional cooperation is Cooperation an important factor in contributing to Deliver Change innovation and sustainable development in Ireland and – with specific consideration being Europe? (2012) given to models of collaborative working 19-20 January and service delivery, evidence-based 2012, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk planning, and building capacity for new responsibilities. Attended by 135 delegates and speakers, the conference was organised Among the speakers were Professor as part of the CroSPlaN-1 project Frank Gaffikin, Professor of Spatial funded by the Special EU Programmes Planning at Queen’s University Body under the INTERREG IVA Belfast; John Fitzgerald, Chairman of Programme. The conference was An Post and the National Transport organised around three main sessions: Authority, former Chairman of Limerick • The Collaborative Framework: Regeneration Agencies and Dublin Cross-Border Regionalism in City Manager; Jenny Pyper, Deputy Action – the role of new regionalism Secretary, NI Department of Social in enhancing cooperation within Development; Niall Cussen, Senior functional regions Adviser in the Planning and Housing • Leadership through Planning: Division of the Irish Department of the Demonstrating Leadership in Environment, Community and Local Achieving the ‘Common Good’ – Government; Siobhan Coughlan, debating the role of communities, Programme Manager at the UK ‘s Local the private sector, and planners in Government Association; Dr Brendan learning from the past and planning O’Keefe, Mary Immaculate College, a new future. University of Limerick; Seamus Neely, • Planning the Future: Rethinking Donegal City Manager; Ciaran Cuffe, the Role of Planning, Governance Dublin Institute of Technology and and Community – bringing people formerly Irish Minister of State with together to consider the role and

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 173 future of planning and local and Sixth Annual regional development, and the Conference: opportunities and implications of The Changing emerging EU agendas on policy and Business, practice. Community and Spatial Planning The conference explored the common Landscape: Doing challenges faced by the island of Ireland More with Less and its European neighbours in terms (2011) of the global economic downturn, 20-21 January stagnant development and the legacy of 2011, Radisson BLU Hotel, Ballincar, over a decade of sometimes ill-planned Co Sligo development. These challenges have knock-on implications for cross-border Attended by 110 people representing cooperation, sustainable development central, regional and local government, and engaging local authorities, elected representatives, policy-makers, businesses and residents in shaping cross-border networks, community their communities. activists, academics and representatives of the business community, this two- Speakers and session chairs included day conference was sponsored by the Professor Alan Wallis, University of Special EU Programmes Body. The Colorado; Professor Karina Pallagst, conference was organised around four Kaiserslautern University of Technology, sessions: Germany; Professor Mary Corcoran, 1. Planning for Economic Recovery NUI Maynooth; Professor Deborah Peel, and Sustainable Growth University of Ulster; Jenny Pyper, NI 2. Planning for Homes and People: Department for Social Development; New Challenges, New Agendas Justin Gleeson, All-Island Research 3. Planning for Shared Innovation: Observatory (AIRO); Maria-Jose Infrastructure to Support Innovation- Doval-Tedin, DG Regional Policy, led Recovery European Commission; Anne Garvey, 4. A Changing Landscape: Networking, NI Department of Environment; Colin Collaborating and Achieving Greater Stutt, Colin Stutt Consulting, Belfast; Efficiencies Alice Charles, Alice Charles Planning, Dublin; Vincent Goodstadt, independent Recognising that the past twelve months consultant and University of Manchester; had represented a time of significant and Kelley O’Brien, Chicagoland Tri- change for the island of Ireland, the State Metropolitan OECD Review. conference focused on the changing budgetary, legislative and policy landscape, and the practical realities of reduced budgets.

Speakers and session chairs included: Nicholas Retsinas, Harvard Business

174 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 School; Shaun Henry, Special EU Institute gave the opening keynote Programmes Body; Greg Lloyd, address; and Declan Kelly, the U.S. University of Ulster; David Walsh, Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland Department of Environment, Heritage gave the closing address. The and Local Government; Jenny Pyper, conference was organised around four Department for Regional Development; sessions: Eddy Curtis, Newry and Mourne District • Health Check on Economic Council; Pádraig Maguire, Border Development, Planning and Regional Authority; Justin Gleeson, All- Infrastructure Island Research Observatory; Joe Frey, • Planning and Economic Recovery Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Rob – The Social and Community Kitchin, National Institute for Regional Dimension and Spatial Analysis; Grainia Long, • Building the Platform for Economic Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Recovery Ireland; Aidan Gough, InterTradeIreland; • Recovery through Collaborative Dermot Byrne, Eirgrid; Frank McDonald, Spatial Planning The Irish Times; Gary McDarby, University College Dublin; Tracy The conference addressed questions Meharg, Invest Northern Ireland; Feargal on how spatial planning can contribute McCormack, FPM Accountants; Patricia to the process of economic recovery O’Hara, National Statistics Board, and across the island of Ireland in a balanced Tim O’Connor, former Secretary-General and sustainable manner. to President McAleese’s Office. Other speakers included Charlotte Kahn, Fifth Annual Director of the Boston indicators Project Conference: at the Boston Foundation; Holly St. Clair, Preparing for Director of Data Services at the Boston- Economic region Metropolitan Area Planning Recovery: Council; Pat McArdle, Economist and Planning Ireland, Irish Times correspondent; Conor North and South, Skehan, Head, Environment and out of Recession Planning Department, Dublin Institute of 21-22 January Technology; Wesley Shannon, Director 2010, Killyhevlin Local Government Policy Division, NI Hotel, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh Department of Environment; Hubert Kearns, Manager, Sligo County Council; Over 130 people attended this two- Patricia Potter, Director of the Dublin day event, which was sponsored Regional Authority; Dr. Celine McHugh, by the Special EU Programmes Senior Policy Advisor with Forfás; and Body under CroSPlaN. Pat Colgan, Brian Murray, Chief Executive of The the Chief Executive of the Special Workspace Group. EU Programmes Body, opened the conference; Professor John FitzGerald of the Economic and Social Research

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 175 Rural Restructuring: Local First Annual Conference: Regional Sustainable Solutions to the Rural and Local Development Strategies Challenge on the Island of Ireland – Addressing 8 May 2009, Blackwater Learning Key Issues and Building Capacity Centre, Knockconan, Emyvale, Co. 27 May 2004, Radisson Hotel, Athlone, Monaghan Co. Westmeath

Fourth Annual Conference: As well as organising its own Achieving Balanced Regional conferences, the ICLRD has been Development: Dynamic Regions, invited to present its work at a number Spatial Strategies and Collaboration. of events hosted by other agencies. 22-23 January 2009, Radisson Hotel, These have included: Letterkenny, Co. Donegal • Cross-border Observation Keynote speakers from overseas between Northern Ireland and included Steve Quartermain, Chief the Republic of Ireland: Building Planning Officer in the Department for Mutual Understanding, MOT’s First Communities and Local Government in European Seminar on Observation London; Jim MacKinnon, Director for of Cross-Border Territories, Nancy, the Built Environment in the Scottish France, 10 December 2012 Government, and Grant Duncan, Head (Caroline Creamer) of the Sustainable Futures Division in the • Data Capture: Information Rich, Welsh Assembly Government. Insight Poor?, ICBAN Spatial Planning Conference, Hotel Kilmore, Third Annual Conference: Fostering Cavan, 1 December 2011 (Prof. Rob Cooperation for Local and Regional Kitchin and Justin Gleeson) Development through Cross-Border • The International Centre for Local Spatial Planning and Regional Development: 17 January 2008, Armagh City Hotel Purpose, Principles and Process, Presentation on the ICLRD to a Supporting Evidence-Informed South African delegation from Spatial Planning and Analysis: Cacadu Municipality, Armagh City Towards the Development of Hotel, 22 November 2011 (Caroline All-Island Spatial Databases Creamer and Neale Blair) 15 November 2007, Crowne Plaza • Cross-Border Local Authority Hotel, Dundalk Training Across the Island of Ireland, INICCO-1 International Conference Second Annual Conference: on Cross-Border Training and Implementing a Framework for Impact Assessment, Radisson Blu Collaborative Action: Spatial Hotel, Cavan, 27 October 2011 Strategies on the Island of Ireland (Caroline Creamer) 9 November 2006, The Canal Court • Indicator Development and Hotel, Newry Monitoring for the National Spatial Strategy and Regional Planning

176 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Guidelines, ESPON Ireland Dublin, • Divergence in Policy and Practice: 28th September 2011 (Jim Government and Community Hetherington) Perspectives on Rural Development, • What is Spatial Planning? Irish National University of Ireland, Central Border Area Network Galway, 2 December 2009 (Brendan Conference on Spatial Planning, O’Keeffe and Caroline Creamer) Manor House Hotel, Killadeas, 15 • Rural Restructuring: Local September 2011 (Neale Blair) Sustainable Solutions to the • Fixing ‘Broken’ Government: Rural Challenge, NSMC Sectoral Functional Territories as an Impetus Meeting on Agriculture and Rural for Reform, Regional Studies Development, Greenmount College Association Conference, University of Agriculture and Horticulture, of Manchester, 2 November 2010 Antrim, 21 July 2009 (Caroline (Caroline Creamer, Neale Blair and Creamer, Neale Blair, Karen Justin Gleeson) Keaveney and Brendan O’Keeffe) • Combating Rural Poverty and • The Color of Money: The (Changing) Social Exclusion, Pobal Conference, Role of Funding in Cross-Border Drogheda, 21 October 2010 (Karen Collaboration, MOPAN Conference, Keaveney) NUI Maynooth, 18 June 2009 • Community Building through (Caroline Creamer and Neale Blair) Growing Leadership: the Challenge • Rural Restructuring: an Opportunity of the Border, Presentation to within a Challenge, Conference of Eisenhower-Loeb Fellows, The Irish Geographers, University College Newman Building, Dublin, 5 May Cork, 16 May 2009 (Caroline 2010 (Caroline Creamer and Karen Creamer and Brendan O’Keeffe) Keaveney) • Understanding and Shaping • Inter-Municipal collaboration across Regions: Spatial, Social and borders: Overcoming Legal and Economic Futures Leuven, Belgium Institutional Differences in the in April 2009 (Brendan O’Keeffe) Irish Border Region, American • Shaping our Future: Reviewing Association of Geographers Annual Northern Ireland’s Regional (AAG) Conference, 14 April 2010 Development Strategy at the (John Driscoll) Stormont Hotel in Belfast, 5 • Challenges and Opportunities for November 2008 (Brendan Bartley) Rural Regeneration on the Island • Stuck Behind a Tractor! The Celtic of Ireland, UK-Ireland Planning Tiger and its Slow Chug towards the Research Conference, Anglia Ruskin Border, First Irish Social Sciences University, Chelmsford, 7-9 April Platform (ISSP) Conference, Dublin 2010 (Karen Keaveney) City University, 11 September 2008 • Rural Interfaces: Reconciling (Caroline Creamer and Brendan Perception with Reality, Sharing O’Keeffe) Our Space Event Killyhevlin Hotel, • Border Effective: The Economic Enniskillen, 4 March 2010 (Caroline Competitiveness Challenge Facing Creamer) Towns and Villages in the Irish

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 177 Border Region, ERSA Congress ICLRD has been affiliated to OLA since 2008, University of Liverpool, 28 2009, with Caroline Creamer (NUI August 2008 (Caroline Creamer) Maynooth) and Dr. Brendan O’Keeffe • Shared Future – Shaping the Fabric (Mary Immaculate College, University of our Communities, Cork, 24-25 of Limerick) representing Ireland, and April 2008 (John Driscoll) Professor Deborah Peel (University of • Drivers of Connectivity: Ulster) representing Northern Ireland. Understanding the Nature, Challenges and Potentials, River Basin Management Plans: Presentation on ICLRD to Croatian Cross-Border Cooperation and the Delegation, Armagh City Hotel, 2 Role of Spatial Planning April 2008 (Caroline Creamer) 17 October 2012, Monaghan • Northern Europe, Planning Together for a Sustainable Future in Inverness, Building on a series of ICLRD Scotland, 11-15 November 2007 reports, including documentation of (Brendan Bartley) good practices in cross-border river • Cooperation in the Twin-City Region, management, the Centre and the Ballymascanlon House, Dundalk, 1 Border Regional Authority jointly hosted November 2007 Dundalk Chamber’s a half-day seminar on river basin Annual Conference Border Vision management on the island of Ireland. Gateway, (John Driscoll) Attendees included senior planners and representatives from local government Seminars and workshops in the Irish border region, the Northern Ireland Environmental Agency and Local Governance in the UK and the Irish Department of Environment, Ireland: So Far, So Near... Community and Local Government. The 23-24 November 2012, Valenciennes, importance of small-scale approaches France to water resource management was one of the key issues highlighted. As part of the Europe-wide OLA (Observatory on Local Autonomy) Should Ambulances Stop at the Network, the ICLRD and the University Border? North-South Cooperation of Valenciennes organised a two- in Health day European symposium on local 13 June 2012, Dublin and regional governance. This event brought together high-level speakers This evening seminar, held in association and delegates from Britain, Ireland, with the Institute for British-Irish Studies Northern Ireland, France and other parts (IBIS), University College Dublin and the of Europe – including representatives Centre for Cross Border Studies, was from ICBAN (Irish Central Border Area attended by over 60 healthcare policy- Network), Border Regional Authority, makers, academics and professionals Western Development Commission, from across the island. Chaired by Dr Institute of Public Administration, and Maurice Hayes, the seminar addressed Seán O’Riordáin and Associates. The questions around an all-island strategy

178 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 on health, and the desirability of deepening cross-border healthcare co-operation to increase access to specialist services and facilities.

Models of Cross-Border and Inter- Jurisdictional Cooperation: Learning from the Experiences of Others 19 January 2012, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk

Organised as part of CroSPlaN-1,this half-day technical workshop was attended by over 30 delegates from central government, local authorities and academics interested in the application of models of cooperation to address common opportunities in cross-border cooperation. Three senior practitioners The finalists from Banbridge Academy and from local agencies and authorities in Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal in the 2013 Debating Science Issues all-Ireland schools Massachusetts, Spain and the Irish debating competition (see pages 182-183) Border Region presented examples of inter-jurisdictional cooperation Land Banking and Housing agreements. Development: The (New) Role of the Planning System Planning and Local Government on 28 April 2011, NUI Maynooth the Island of Ireland 30 September 2011, Dundalk Developing Core Strategies: Adopting a Bottom-up Approach Organised in association with 9 March 2011, Hodson Bay Hotel, Cooperation Ireland and Queen’s Athlone University Belfast, this seminar drew over 100 delegates from Ireland and The Functionality of Place: Northern Ireland. The emphasis of Determining and Mapping the event was to look at the growing Functional Territories territorial agenda and the opportunities 16 June 2010, Armagh City Hotel this creates for enhanced cross-border cooperation across the island as Evidence-Informed Planning: demonstrated by the experiences of Making Information Accessible others in Europe, and to focus on the to build Inter-Jurisdictional potential role of elected members in the Cooperation planning and governance processes of 21 January 2010, Killyhevlin Hotel, each jurisdiction in Ireland. Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 179 An Introduction to Smart Growth to consolidate initiatives supporting 22 January 2009, Radisson Hotel, strategic cooperation in the NW Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Gateway region. Activities have included: • Undertaking reviews of respective Supporting Evidence-Based Spatial local policy documents such as Planning and Analysis in Ireland: the Donegal County Development Towards the Development of All- Plan and the One Plan for Derry/ Island Spatial Databases Londonderry to identify common 15 February 2007 in NUI Maynooth; and areas for future cooperation; 20 June 2007 in University of Ulster • Supporting the NWPB in their preparations for meeting with the Exploring the Economic and Social NSMC and senior officials from Implications of the National Spatial those government departments Strategy involved in the NW Gateway 15 April 2005, Athlone, Co. Westmeath Initiative; • Engaging with key stakeholders Outreach in the North West and central government departments in Irish Central Border Region Belfast and Dublin leading to a (2011-2012) recommendation to develop a 2013 Action Plan to strengthen the The ICLRD has been closely involved in linkages between the North West providing guidance to the Irish Central Gateway initiatives and the priorities Border Area Network’s (ICBAN’s) cross- for government (including the revised border spatial planning activities. The RDS and NSS, and the forthcoming Central Border Region Spatial Planning Cooperative Framework for Spatial Initiative, which has been partly financed Planning). by the EU’s INTERREG IVA Programme, is a drive by ICBAN to give the region Truagh-Aughnacloy Community distinctiveness, translating key national Planning (2011-2012) plans into local and regional actions. The ICLRD provided technical assistance Since 2010 the ICLRD has been during the set-up period and will providing technical assistance to a continue in its role as an external advisor number of community development post-2012. associations along the North Monaghan / South Tyrone border. The development North West Gateway Initiative associations from Truagh, Aughnacloy, (2011-2012) Aghaloo, the Bawn, Loughans, Clara and Carrickroe are working together Following the ICLRD 2011 training on a community business and social programme in the North West, the economy plan. This is the first time that Centre has continued to provide these neighbouring associations have assistance to local councils and the formally worked together. North West Partnership Board (NWPB)

180 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The next phase of the groups’ work will facing both the Republic of Ireland examine the feasibility of: and Northern Ireland. By considering • A Blackwater Valley branded both jurisdictions on the island and the business development and potential synergies and efficiencies that marketing initiative; can be realised through cooperation, the • An Independent Living Project series aims to provide a more rounded providing support services to view than considering each jurisdiction lone dwellers and older people, in isolation. Articles available to in addition to community-based date include: employment opportunities, especially for women; and • Implementation of River Basin • The Implementation of a Youth Management Plans: Current Issues Employment, Entrepreneurship and and Future Needs by Dr. Ainhoa Leadership Programme. González Del Campo, NIRSA, NUI Maynooth, John Driscoll, Director, In order to consult with residents on ICLRD, and Padraig Maguire, Border both sides of border and to gain insights Regional Authority (December 2012). into the types of social economy and • Biomass Resource in the Island of community development activities Ireland by Michael Doran, Executive that would be favoured locally, young Director of Action Renewables people from Truagh and the surrounding (September 2012); communities came together in 2012 • Reflections on the Boom: A Time to undertake a household survey. The for Reform by Dr. Patricia O’Hara, ICLRD provided technical support to Chairperson of the National enable them to formulate a survey Statistics Board and Adjunct questionnaire and to process the Professor at the National Institute for results. The response rate throughout Regional Spatial Analysis (NIRSA), the area was very positive and a wealth NUI Maynooth (August 2011); of suggestions were advanced. In the • Innovation: The Challenge of meantime, the youth have assumed Building an Adaptive and Innovative leadership roles within their own Society by Dr. James Cunningham, communities, and are bringing a fresh Director of the Centre for Innovation vitality and energy to local development and Structural Change (CISC) and and cross-border collaboration. senior lecturer at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics at Briefing paper series NUI Galway (May 2011); • Doing More with Less: A Business In November 2009 the ICLRD launched Perspective by Feargal McCormack, its Briefing Paper Series. This involves FPM Chartered Accountants the publication of short, timely articles (January 2011); that explore how various forms of • Recovery Scenarios for the Two Irish planning, enacted at different spatial Economies by Prof. John FitzGerald, scales, can contribute to better The Economic and Social Research collaboration on the pressing issues Institute (July 2010);

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 181 • Evidence-Informed Spatial Planning: • Linking Spatial Planning with Public A Metro Boston Perspective by Holly Investment: Perspectives from the St Clair, Metropolitan Area Planning island of Ireland by David Counsell, Council (MAPC), Boston (May 2010); Planner & Prof. Greg Lloyd, • ESPON – A New Practical European University of Ulster (Dec. 2009); Research Agenda for Territorial • Good Planning Key to Future Development by Cliff Hague, ESPON Success by Prof. Rob Kitchin, NUI Contact Point UK and Brendan Maynooth & Prof. Alastair Adair, Bartley, ESPON Contact Point University of Ulster (Nov. 2009). Republic of Ireland (Feb. 2010); • The Conditions Necessary for Website Gateway Development and The Role The International Centre for Local and of Smaller Gateways in Economic Regional Development’s website is at Development by Prof. Jim Walsh, www.iclrd.org NUI Maynooth and Cormac Walsh, Urban Institute, University College Dublin (Jan, 2010);

The Debating Science Issues is a competition which invites young people to engage in debate on the cultural, societal and ethical implications of DEBATING SCIENCE ISSUES advances in biological science. It is open to students in the senior cycle In 2013 – for the second year running – of secondary school in the Republic the Centre (along with the W5 interactive of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is discovery centre in Belfast) organised coordinated by nine research, medical the Ulster regional eliminators of the and science centres all over Ireland: Debating Science Issues all-island REMEDI; the Alimentary Pharmabotic schools debating competition, led by Centre at University College Cork; the the Regenerative Medicine Institute Biomedical Diagnostics Institute at (REMEDI) at National University of Dublin City University; the Royal College Ireland Galway and funded by the of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin; W5 Wellcome Trust. in Belfast; CLARITY, a joint University College Dublin-DCU Centre for Science,

182 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Ansley Patterson and Daniel Part from Banbridge Academy in County Down, winners of the 2013 all-Ireland Debating Science Issues schools debating competition. The final took place in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin

Engineering and Technology; CRANN, Diocesan Grammar School, Belfast. a nanoscience research centre at Banbridge Academy went on to win the Trinity College Dublin; Cork Institute of final of the all-Ireland competition in the Technology and the Centre for Cross Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin on Border Studies. 22 February 2013.

The 2013 topics for debate were PAST RESEARCH PROJECTS stem cell research; health and self- testing; genetically modified food; The Centre has commissioned nanotechnology; serious rare diseases; and published 22 cross-border vaccination against seasonal and research projects in the fields of pandemic flu, and organ transplants. telecommunications developments, The eight Ulster schools in the 2013 health services, disadvantage in regional eliminators were Banbridge education, EU funding programmes, Academy, Down High School, local government links, mental health Downpatrick; St Patrick’s College and promotion, waste management policies, St Catherine’s College, both Armagh; local history societies, animal health, the Our Lady and St Patrick’s, Knock, East euro, local sustainable development, Belfast; St Pius X College, Magherafelt, diversity in early years education, Co Derry; St Catherine’s College, science and citizenship education, Killybegs, Co Donegal; and Aquinas environmental studies in primary

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 183 schools, public sector training, hospital in information retrieval, data analysis services, mental health research, and image and signal processing: government services to minority ethnic Professor Fionn Murtagh, then of groups, impact assessment, the border Queen’s University Belfast, and Dr John region economy and North-South public Keating of National University of Ireland service provision. Maynooth. The project was sponsored by eircom. These projects involved researchers drawn from 14 universities, colleges, Cross-Border Co- independent research centres and operation in Health consultancy firms in Ireland and Britain: Services in Ireland Queen’s University Belfast, University of (2001) Ulster, Dublin City University, University A study of the past, College Dublin, National University of present and potential Ireland Galway, National University of for future co-operation Ireland Maynooth, St Patrick’s College in health services Drumcondra, Stranmillis University across the Irish border College, the Institute of Public by a research team led Administration, Belfast City Hospital, by Dr Jim Jamison, formerly director of Dundalk Institute of Technology, the the Health and Social Care Research London School of Hygiene and Tropical Unit at Queen’s University Belfast, and Medicine, Horwath Bastow Charleton, including Professor Martin McKee of and the Centre for Cross Border Studies the London School of Hygiene and itself. The research assignments under Tropical Medicine, Dr Ciaran O’Neill the North/South public sector training of the University of Ulster, and Ms project (2004-2007) also involved civil Michelle Butler of the Institute of Public and public servants from Administration in Dublin. both jurisdictions. Ireland’s The Centre has published the following Learning Poor: research projects: Adult Educational Disadvantage and The Evolution Cross-Border Co- of Telecom operation (2001) Technologies: A study of the needs Current Trends of the more than a and Near-Future million people on the Implications (2001) island who left school A number of with few or no qualifications by Dr case studies of Mark Morgan of St Patrick’s College, developments in Drumcondra, and Mr Paul McGill, mobile and wireless telephony across formerly education correspondent of the the Irish border from a research team Belfast Telegraph. They concluded that led by two of Ireland’s leading specialists current policies in both jurisdictions were

184 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 far removed from a vision of lifelong The Foot-and-Mouth learning which allows people of all ages Disease Crisis and and social classes equal access to the Irish Border education and training. (2002) A study of the cross- Creating Living border dimension Institutions: of the 2001 foot- EU Cross-Border and-mouth disease Co-operation after outbreak by the the Good Friday Centre’s research manager, Dr Patricia Agreement (2001) Clarke, with comments from the A study by Professor Departments of Agriculture in Belfast Brigid Laffan and and Dublin. Issued exactly a year after Dr Diane Payne of the original outbreak in England, the the Institute for British-Irish Studies report’s findings were praised by the two at University College Dublin, which Ministers, Brid Rodgers and Joe Walsh, analysed the interaction between the as “extremely valuable” in helping the North-South Institutions set up under Departments to formulate actions to the Good Friday Agreement – notably deal with animal health emergencies. the North/South Ministerial Council and the Special EU Programmes Body - and Promoting Mental the EU’s funding programme for cross- Health and Social border co-operation, INTERREG. Well-being: Cross- Border Opportunities Cross-Border and Challenges Co-operation in (2002) Local Government: This is a two-part Models of study by a team from Management, National University Development and of Ireland Galway led by Dr Margaret Reconciliation Barry and Ms Sharon Friel. It examined (2001) a number of cross-border projects A study by Professor in the areas of postnatal depression, Derek Birrell and Amanda Hayes of public awareness of suicide, cancer the University of Ulster of the different support services, the mental health of kinds of cross-border links between young men and mental health in rural local authorities, including one-to-one communities. The study also looked at linkages, local government cross- the comparability and compatibility of border networks, and cross-border mental health data sources in the two partnerships involving other agencies. It jurisdictions. also analysed the project management methods used, the views of the councillors involved and the involvement of the European Union.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 185 The Local History Diversity in Early Project: Co- Years Education operating North North and South: and South (2003) Implications for This study, by Dr Teacher Education Jacinta Prunty, Dr (2004) Raymond Gillespie The aim of this EU- and Maeve Mulryan- funded study was to Moloney of National identify the difficulties University of Ireland Maynooth, provided facing teachers and children in areas of the basis for the first all-Ireland register inter-community conflict and tension on of local history societies. They identified both sides of the Irish border with a view 330 societies, but estimated that to developing a framework for preparing a complete list would exceed 500 young teachers working with children societies, North and South, involving an in the early years. It was carried out active membership of perhaps by researchers at St Patrick’s College 28,000 persons. Drumcondra in Dublin and Stranmillis University College in Belfast, Mairin Towards a Green Kenny and Helen McLaughlin, under Isle? Local the direction of Philomena Donnelly and Sustainable Louise Quinn. Development on the Island of Ireland Citizenship and (2004) Science: The A study of local Connecting Axes sustainable (2005) development as The final report of the carried out (through the Local Agenda EU-funded Citizenship 21 process) by local authorities and and Science Exchange social partners throughout Ireland, (CaSE) Schools by a cross-border team comprising project looked at how Geraint Ellis and Dr Bill Neill of the a group of 12-14 year old students Queen’s University Belfast’s School of in 16 schools on both sides of the Environmental Planning, and Dublin- border deepened their understanding based researchers Una Hand and Brian of the dynamic relationship between Motherway. It found that 54% of local science and citizenship. hThe students authorities on the island had begun a explored subjects such as air and water process of LA21, but stressed that the pollution, waste management, GM main challenge is to move from debate and fair trade foods, renewable energy to action. and energy efficiency. Much of the cross-border work centred on a shared Web resource. This project was led by Professor Peter McKenna and Dr Charlotte Holland of Dublin City University.

186 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Improving an all-island visitor pass for heritage Government sites; setting up a cross-border training Service Delivery to and accreditation system for installers Minority Ethnic of renewable energy technologies; Groups (2006). and cross-border sharing of patient This study, funded electronic records. by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland Removing the (with additional funding from the Joseph Barriers: An Initial Rowntree Charitable Trust and the Report on the British Council), examined how public Potential for Cross- services such as health, education, Border Cooperation policing and employment support are in Hospital Services provided to minority ethnic groups in (2007) Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland This short report and Scotland. It had a particular focus compared the planning on how Northern Ireland’s public of hospital servicereorganisation, authorities could learn from their nearest North and South. It noted that there neighbours. The research work was are different strategies in the two carried out by a partnership led by the jurisdictions, with Northern Ireland National Consultative Committee on placing greater emphasis on travel Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), time and the Republic on the size together with Piaras MacEinri from of the catchment population. The University College Cork, the Institute authors,independent Belfast researcher for Conflict Research in Belfast and Dr Jim Jamison and Dr Michelle Butler, Organisation and Social Development Senior Lecturer in UCD’s School of Consultants in Edinburgh. Nursing Midwifery and Health Systems, point to the clear scope for joint The Wind Across hospital planning and rationalisation in the Border (2007) the border region to benefit the health of This report brought the population. together six award winning research Pride of our assignments carried Place (2007) out by pairs and The research report teams of officials as of this cross-border part of the North/ environmental project South and Cross-Border Public Sector for primary schools Training Programme. They were on the was written by Mary proposed reopening of the Ulster Canal; Burke of St Patrick’s an all-island service for the recycling of College Drumcondra. waste fridges and freezers; expanding The project brought the CAWT-sponsored eMed renal together 10-12 year olds from a group information system to the whole island; of primary schools in Louth, Monaghan,

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 187 Cavan, Tyrone, Armagh and Down to hospital services study key environmental features in (2010) their locality by looking at it historically This study by CCBS and geographically, and then exploring Deputy Director it in the company of their cross-border Ruth Taillon features partner schools. The Chief Inspector feedback from 11 for Northern Ireland, Marion Matchett, focus groups in the called the project’s final event in Armagh border region and ‘a wonderful event, made all the more case studies of service so by the children’s enthusiasm, interest users and campaigning community and expertise...you have every right to groups in three areas: cancer care in be proud of the project’s achievements.’ the North-West; cystic fibrosis in the two jurisdictions; and the campaign Mental Health: The for a hospital in Omagh. Among the Case for a Cross- recommendations are that Patient and Jurisdictional Public Involvement (PPI) concepts in Approach hospital planning should be properly combining Policy implemented and that service users and Research from both jurisdictions should be Efforts on the involved in the planning of new services Island of Ireland at Altnagelvin (Derry/Londonderry) and (2009) Enniskillen hospitals. The full report and This study by Dr Patricia Clarke of an executive summary are available on CCBS explored the context of and the CCBS website. challenges to the reform of mental health services (and related research) in Impact Assessment Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. Toolkit for Cross It compared the two main mental health Border Cooperation documents – the Bamford Review in the (2011) North and A Vision for Change in the This toolkit – the first of South – in order to identify similarities its kind in Europe – is and differences in policy approach in the particularly timely in two jurisdictions, highlighting areas of light of the European common concern, priorities for research Commission’s and the gaps which exist. This work was increasing focus on ‘Territorial carried in association with the Mental Cooperation’ and ‘Territorial Cohesion’. Health Commission (RoI), Cooperation Cross-border impact assessment is and Working Together (CAWT) and other intended to be a practical method to agencies in the mental health field. assist people planning cross-border programmes and projects. This first Exploring the Potential for Cross- version is based on the Irish cross- Border Hospital Services in the border experience, but can be adapted Irish Border Region: the role of to other European border regions. The community involvement in planning toolkit will help to determine whether

188 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 a cross-border approach is the Cross-border appropriate level of intervention and, if Economic Renewal: so, to identify the ‘added value’ of cross- Rethinking Regional border cooperation. It will also identify Policy in Ireland the added value that has come about as (2012) a result of the cooperation process itself: This study by Dr John e.g. the building of new cross-border Bradley (formerly of the relationships. The toolkit was devised Economic and Social and developed by a team lead by CCBS Research Institute) and Deputy Director Ruth Taillon along with Professor Michael Best of University Dr Joachim Beck and Sebastian Rihm of Massachusetts Lowell/Cambridge from the Euro-Institut in Kehl, Germany. University examined the strengths and weaknesses of the economy of the Irish Unlocking the border region (with a particular focus Potential of Cross- on producing, and also on shopping Border Hospital and tourism). It put the regional Planning on the economy in the context of the history of Island of Ireland: Ireland’s two economies, the economic Unlocking the Potential of Cross-Border Hospital Planning on the Island of Ireland: A Prototype Modelling Framework a prototype consequences of the ‘Troubles’, the Authors: Shane McQuillan & Vanya Sargent Horwath Bastow Charleton modelling island economy and development framework (2011) strategy frameworks. It also proposed a This study, carried new approach: a cross-border Border out by Shane McQuillan and Vanya Development Zone, whose rationale Sargent of the Dublin consultancy firm would be based on the need for a Horwath Bastow Charleton, explored uniquely targeted approach because the feasibility of developing cross-border of the region’s twin disadvantages of acute healthcare services in a number peripherality and the border policy ‘fault of sectors, and outlined a prototype line’. modelling framework for planning such services. The five sample clinical service Delivering a areas examined were orthopaedic Prosperity Process: surgery, ENT surgery, paediatric cardiac Opportunities in surgery, cystic fibrosis and acute mental North/South Public health care services. The researchers Service Provision concluded that there were significant (2012) barriers to providing such services on This study by Dublin a cross-border basis, but these could business consultant be worked around (particularly at Michael D’Arcy local level, and following the example proposed 10 areas of public service set by the Cooperation and Working provision where it makes sense for the Together network), and there were Irish and Northern Irish public sectors to particular opportunities presented by cooperate for improved service delivery the new South West Acute Hospital in and ‘value for money’. Its findings Enniskillen. were based on private conversations

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 189 with senior civil servants and business • A second review of the 2008 study leaders in both jurisdictions. Among of postgraduate flows from the the areas are a joint plan for economic Republic of Ireland to Northern and employment growth to target Ireland for the Irish Department of marginalised communities; an all- Education and Skills (December island Single Energy Market; North- 2010) South collaboration on public water • A study of North-South cooperation supply; showcasing all-island business in the education sector (pre- achievements, and an operational school, primary, secondary) for the ‘tool box’ for public service managers Department of Education and Skills working on a North-South basis. and the Department of Education Northern Ireland (June 2010) COMMISSIONED STUDIES AND • A review of cross-border consumer EVALUATIONS issues, employment issues and railway links, as reflected in Border The Centre has carried out studies People queries and user group and evaluations for government and meetings, for the North/South other public agencies, charitable Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat and social partner organisations. (April 2010) These have included: • A study of the numbers of people • A fourth review of the 2008 study crossing the border on a daily/ of postgraduate flows from the weekly basis and what they are Republic of Ireland to Northern crossing the border to do (to Ireland for the Irish Department of work, study, retire, access medical Education and Skills (December services etc), for the EURES 2012); Crossborder Partnership (February • A study to identify and explore 2010) current political and civil society • A review of the 2008 study of connections between Northern postgraduate flows from the Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland to Northern in areas of concern to the Joseph Ireland for the Irish Department of Rowntree Charitable Trust (May Education and Science (December 2012); 2009) • A third review of the 2008 study • A study of mental health policy and of postgraduate flows from the research on the island of Ireland, Republic of Ireland to Northern for the Mental Health Commission Ireland for the Irish Department of (RoI) and other agencies, supported Education and Skills (December by the Cooperation and Working 2011) Together (CAWT) cross-border • A study of Obstacles to Cross- network of health authorities Border Undergraduate Education (December 2008) (for the IBEC-CBI Joint Business • An evaluation of the cross-border Council and the Eures Cross Border GP out-of-hours service for Partnership)(August 2011)

190 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Cooperation and Working Together Department for Employment and (July 2008) Learning (2006) • A study of postgraduate flows from • An Evaluation of the Education for the Republic of Ireland to Northern Reconciliation Project (Year One Ireland higher education institutions, and Two), for the City of Dublin for the Irish Department of Education Vocational Education Committee and Science (January 2008) (2003-2005) • How the trade union movement • A Review of Cross-Border Mobility can become more involved Information Provisions in the South and influential in North-South of Ireland, for the North/South cooperation, for the Northern Ireland Mobility Information Group (2003) office of the Irish Congress of Trade • An Evaluation of the Upstate Theatre Unions (December 2007). Company’s ‘Crossover’ cross-border • A review of policy recommendations community drama project (2002- from the five research projects 2004) commissioned by the Higher • ‘Towards a Strategic Economic Education Authority under the 2004- and Business Research Agenda 2006 Cross-Border Programme for for the island of Ireland’, for Research contributing to Peace and InterTradeIreland (2002) Reconciliation: Intergenerational • A report on public feedback to the transmission and ethno-national PriceWaterhouseCoopers/Indecon identity in the border area; Equality Obstacles to Mobility study, for the and social inclusion; Mapping North/South Ministerial Council Frontiers, Plotting Pathways; (2002) E-consultation; and Virtual Research • A study into the feasibility of Centre for Point-of-Care Technology extending University for Industry/ (February 2007). learndirect to the Republic of Ireland, • An overview of the activities of the for University for Industry (2001) Common Chapter of the Republic of • An evaluation of the Co-operation Ireland’s National Development Plan and Working Together (CAWT) and Northern Ireland’s Structural cross-border network of health Funds Plan for the Special EU boards and trusts, for CAWT(2001) Programmes Body – in partnership • A ‘scoping study’ of North-South with FPM Chartered Accountants School, Youth and Teacher (February 2007) Exchanges, for the Department of • A report on public attitudes to the Education Northern Ireland and development of cross-border health the Department of Education and services, with particular reference to Science (2001) GP out-of-hours services, for CAWT (January 2007) SEMINARS AND STUDY DAYS • A report on education and skills in the North West, for the Irish The Centre holds regular seminars and Department of Education and study days in Armagh, Dublin and in Science and the Northern Ireland the border region to examine strategic

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 191 areas of interest to North-South policy • Education and Skills in the North makers. These bring together groups West of policy makers, senior practitioners • Mental Health Research and academics to discuss a research • Personal Banking paper prepared by the Centre under • Web 2.0 aspects of online cross- the chairmanship of a distinguished border information authority in the field. As the Centre’s • Cross-border statistics research programme has developed, • Cross-border consumer issues these seminars have moved from • Cross-border hospital services studying broad policy fields to examining • Border Region Economy more focused areas which have been • Developing your cross-border the subject of specific research projects business (2) and commissioned work. Cross-border • Cross-border impact assessment seminars and study days have been • North/South Research Fora (5) organised in the following areas: (2009-2011) o Cross-border economic • Agriculture development at a time of crisis • Education o Cross-border innovation and • Tourism creativity • Information and Communication o The future of cross-border public Technologies sector cooperation • Health Services o Peacebuilding across borders • Mental Health Promotion o Cross-border health cooperation • Developments in Telecom in times of austerity Technologies • Local government links * For the Mapping Frontiers, Plotting • Foot and Mouth disease Pathways project • School, Youth and Teacher Exchanges TRAINING • European citizenship education • The euro In February 2013 Deputy Director Ruth • Business research Taillon and Research and Training • The North-South Consultative Forum Officer Eimear Donnelly travelled to • Ageing Kehl, Germany, where – in partnership • Border region history* with colleagues from the Euro Institut • Border region regeneration* – they delivered training for a group of • Waste Management people from the Central Asian republic • Economic co-operation* of Tajikistan working for the German • Planning and mobility in the north- international cooperation agency GIZ west* (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale • Science and Citizenship Zusammenarbeit) in that country. • Information provision Members of the Tajikistan delegation • Housing and sustainable are all working on the promotion of communities cross-border economic cooperation

192 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Participants at the Universities Ireland 'Reflecting on a decade of War and Revolution in Ireland 1912-1923: Historians and Public History' conference in The Royal Hospital Kilmainham in June 2012 (see pages 152-153) between Tajikistan and its neighbouring and elsewhere in Europe. For further countries, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, details please contact Ruth Taillon cooperation that is jointly funded by the ([email protected]) . German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) CONFERENCES and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID). The first major conference organised by the Centre, Using as a ‘real life’ case study a GIZ jointly with the Centre pilot project to develop roadside services for International Borders for cross-border traders and other small Research (CIBR), businesses and travellers in the two was held at Queen’s border corridors between Tajikistan and University Belfast in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, a central autumn 2000 under the component of the training programme title ‘European Cross was based on the Impact Assessment Border Co-operation: Toolkit for Cross-Border Cooperation, Lessons for and from developed jointly by CCBS and the Euro Ireland.’ This international conference Institut in 2010-2011. CCBS and the was opened by the Irish President, Euro Institut are also offering training to Mary McAleese, and was addressed support cross-border projects in Ireland by a wide range of distinguished

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 193 speakers, including the First Minister the English Higher Education Funding of Northern Ireland, David Trimble; the Council, Sir Howard Newby. Deputy First Minister, Seamus Mallon; the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie In May 2003, the second Flanagan; the head of the EU’s cross- conference was held in border INTERREG programme, Esben Cavan on ‘International Poulsen; the international emergency Education: A Capacity communications expert, Professor Builder for the Island Edward Johnson; Ambassador Hermann of Ireland?’ The keynote von Richthofen of the German-Polish speakers were Lindy Governmental Commission; and the Hyam, Chief Executive of SDLP leader John Hume. Participants IDP Education Australia, came from 13 countries to discuss a world leader in cross-border co-operation in five areas: international education and administrative institutions, security and development services, and Neil Kemp, policing, business and the economy, the director of the Education UK Division of environment, and culture and the arts. the British Council. The conference was chaired by Sir George Quigley. The Centre has also organised six North-South In November 2003, conferences on aspects the third conference of higher education on was held in Belfast behalf of the Department on ‘Widening for Employment and Access to Third Learning (Belfast) and the Level Education Department of Education on the Island of and Science (Dublin). The Ireland: Towards first of these, in October Better Policy and 2002 in Armagh, was on ‘Ireland as a Practice’. The keynote Centre of Excellence in Third Level speakers were Dr Arnold Mitchem, Education.’ This conference, which President of the Council for Opportunity was attended by the presidents of seven in Education in Washington DC, a of the nine universities on the island of champion of access to higher education Ireland, was addressed by several world for low income and disabled Americans authorities on higher education. These for 35 years, and Samuel Isaacs, included Professor Malcolm Skilbeck, Executive Officer of the South African the OECD’s former Deputy Director Qualifications Authority. for Education; former US Secretary of Education, Richard Riley; the Director- The fourth conference – entitled General for Education and Culture in ‘Cross-Border Higher Education the European Commission, Nikolaus Co-operation in Ireland and van der Pas, and the Chief Executive of Europe’ – was held in Cavan in May 2004. This examined examples of good practice in cross-border higher

194 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 education elsewhere The sixth conference in Europe, notably in was held in Malahide the Oresund region in March 2006 with of Denmark and the title ‘What role for southern Sweden Higher Education (with keynote speaker in the Development Professor Linda of the 21st Century Nielsen, Rector of Workplace?’ The the University of keynote speakers Copenhagen), and the EUCOR network were the Board Chairman of the Intel between French, German and Swiss Corporation, Dr Craig Barrett; the universities in the Upper Rhine region. Directors General of the Confederation The conference was co-chaired by Sir of British Industry and the Irish Business Kenneth Bloomfield and Noel Dorr. and Employers Confederation, Sir Higher Education and Business Digby Jones and Turlough O’Sullivan; conference brochure cover the Education and Training Officer of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, The fifth conference Peter Rigney; the Chief Executive was held in Belfast of Forfás, Martin Cronin, and the in June 2005 President of Dublin City University, under the title Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski. ‘Higher Education The conference was opened by and Business: the Secretary General of the Irish Beyond Mutual Department for Education and Science, Incomprehension’. Brigid McManus, and the Permanent The keynote speaker Secretary of the Northern Ireland was Richard Lambert, member of the Department for Employment and Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Learning, Dr Aideen McGinley. The event Committee, former editor of the Financial was organised in collaboration with the Times and author of the seminal IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council. Lambert Review of University-Business Collaboration for the British Government. In March 2007 the The conference was opened by the Irish Centre joined with Minister for Education and Science, Armagh Observatory Ms Mary Hanafin TD, and the Northern to organise ‘Discover Ireland Minister for Employment and the Stars at Armagh: Learning and Education, Ms Angela a Cross-Border Smyth MP. Other speakers included the Schools Science Presidents of Queen’s University Belfast Conference.’ This and NUI Maynooth, Professor Peter brought together Gregson and Professor John Hughes, 260 students from secondary schools and leading Irish entrepreneurs Dr Chris in Belfast, Armagh, Dublin, Dundalk, Horn and Dr Hugh Cormican. Drogheda, Dungannon, Kilkeel, Cookstown, Fermanagh, Monaghan

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 195 and Westmeath to engage in two days Netherlands); and Gorka Espiau Idoiaga, of astronomical activities in Armagh. Senior Advisor for Peacebuilding to the The event was funded by the Northern Basque Government. This conference Ireland Department of Culture, Arts was funded by the EU Peace Two and Leisure and the Irish Department programme. of Education and Science, and was designed to attract students aged 13-14 In April 2009 and May 2011 the towards science and a scientific thinking Centre, the Royal School Armagh, the at a critical stage of their academic Armagh Observatory and the Armagh careers. A 32 page booklet, edited by Planetarium came together to organise Dr Miruna Popescu, was produced for a second and third ‘Discover the Stars the participating schools by Observatory in Armagh: Cross-Border Schools students and staff. Science Conference’. These brought together over 500 students from 20 In June 2008 the secondary schools on both sides of Centre organised a the border to learn about astronomy major conference and related sciences and mathematics, in Dundalk entitled using the unique joint facilities of the ‘Cross-Border Observatory and the Planetarium. Cooperation In 2009 the keynote lecture on ‘The as part of the Science of Armageddon’ was given by Northern Irish the leading British astronomer, Jay Tate Peace Process: of Spaceguard UK in Wales. In 2011 the Some Lessons for Europe’ which was keynote speaker was Dr Robert Walsh attended by over 130 people from 13 of the University of Central Lancashire countries: Ireland, England, Scotland, on ‘Basking in the Sunshine: a new France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, encounter with our closest star.’ Netherlands, Italy, Serbia, Kosovo,

China and the USA. The conference On 27-28 October Cross-Border Training and Impact Assessment in Ireland and Europe: An International Conference Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan was opened by the Irish Minister for 2011 the Centre 27th-28th October 2011 Justice, Dermot Ahern TD, and among organised an the speakers were Stephen Kingon, international Chairman, Invest Northern Ireland; conference in the Martin Guillermo Ramirez, Secretary Radisson Blu Farnham General of the Association of European Estate Hotel in Cavan

Opening speaker: Lucinda Creighton TD, Irish Minister of State Border Regions; Ronald Hall, Head of under the title Cross- for European Affairs. the European Commission’s Northern Border Training and Ireland Task Force; Professor Elizabeth Impact Assessment Meehan, former Director of the Institute in Ireland and Europe (funded by of Governance at Queen’s University INTERREG IVA though the Special Belfast; Silvia Gobert-Keckeis of EU Programmes Body). It was was Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière attended by 130 people from France, (MOT) in Paris); Linda Blom from the Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Euregio Gronau-Enschede (Germany- Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Catalonia

196 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 (Spain), USA, Scotland, Wales, Northern Gough, Director of Policy and Strategy Ireland and Ireland. The highlight was with InterTradeIreland; Dr Gerhard the launch of the Impact Assessment Untiedt from the German consultancy Toolkit for Cross Border Cooperation firm GEFRA; John Watt from the – developed jointly by the Centre and Highlands and Island Enterprise agency the Euro-Institut in Kehl, Germany – in Scotland; Dr Edgar Morgenroth from by Dr José Antonio Ruiz de Casas of the Economic and Social Research the European Commission’s Regional Institute, Dublin; Liam Connellan, former Policy directorate (DG REGIO).There Director General of the Confederation were also presentations on health of Irish Industry; Padraic White, chair training, business monitoring and raising of Louth Economic Forum and former the public participation of women in managing director of IDA Ireland; the Irish border region and Scotland; and three successful border region training and evaluation for EU Territorial entrepreneurs, Walter Watson of Walter Cooperation programmes; cross-border Watson Ltd, Paul Shortt of Castlecool local authority training in Ireland; higher and Pat McAdam of Bose. In his closing education and research cooperation address Mr White called for setting up of in the Upper Rhine; the Transfrontier a special development zone for the Irish Euro-Institut Network (TEIN); and border region. cross-border training and impact assessment from the standpoints of the TRANSFRONTIER EURO-INSTITUT European Commission, the Association NETWORK (TEIN) of European Border Regions, and France’s leading authority on cross- Since 2010 the Centre has been a border cooperation, Professor Michel member of the Transfrontier Euro- Casteights. Institut Network (TEIN). This is part-funded by the EU Leonardo On 17-18 November programme, and is a network consisting

Antrim Derry 2011 the Centre of 12 cross-border research and training Donegal

Tyrone organised a institutes and centres, and university Down Fermanagh Armagh

Sligo Monaghan Leitrim conference in departments of cross-border studies, in Cavan Louth Cavan under the nine European border regions:

Reviving the Border Region Economy in a title Reviving the • Euro-Institute, Kehl (Upper Rhine time of Peace, Devolved Government and International Recession An ‘emerging findings’ conference from the research project by Dr John Bradley and Professor Michael Best Border Region region: German-French-Swiss Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan 17th-18th November 2011 Economy in a time borders)(lead partner) of Peace, Devolved • Centre for Cross Border Studies Government and International (Northern Irish-Irish border) Recession. This was the ‘emerging • Carinthia University of Applied findings’ conference of the INTERREG- Sciences (School of Management), funded Border Region Economy Villach; University of Ljubljana, research project led by Dr John Bradley Faculty of Administration; ForSer and Professor Michael Best, and was (Austrian-Slovene-Italian borders) attended by 125 people. Among the • Institut Euroschola; Olza Association speakers and session chairs were Aidan (Czech-Polish border)

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 197 TEIN network members and guests at Brussels symposium on 'Capacity Building in Cross Border Territories in July 2012, including (second from left), Jean Peyrony, Director of Mis- sion Operationelle Transfrontaliere, the French Government's cross-border cooperation agency, and (second from right), Martin Guillermo Ramirez, Secretary General, Association of European Border Regions.

• Euro-Institut Caraibéen (Caribbean ways of developing tools, methods and space) skills for cross-border training in Europe; • IPCRESS Institut Catalan de to provide the EU with a trans-European Recherche en Sciences Sociales – network of cross-border training and University of Perpignan Via Domitia research centres, and to develop locally (Catalonia); relevant training networks in fields such • Université de Nice (French-Italian as cross-border public administration. border) • European Cooperation Unit, On 10 July 2012 the Centre, along with Nord-Pas de Calais region (French- the Euro-Institut and its other partners Belgian-English border) in the TEIN, was involved in organising • Department of Border Region a successful symposium in Brussels Studies, University of Southern on the topic ‘The future of European Denmark,(Danish-German border) Territorial Cooperation: Capacity Building in Cross-Border Territories’. Around The TEIN network has organised regular 120 people attended the symposium, meetings since October 2010 – in Kehl, which was jointly organised by TEIN, the Germany; Villach, Austria; Trinec, Czech Association of European Border Regions Republic; Banyuls, French Catalonia; (AEBR) and the French government’s Wisla, Poland, and Armagh – to explore cross-border cooperation agency

198 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Pictured at a seminar on cross-border labour mobility organised by East Border Region and the Centre for Cross Border Studies in Newry on 22 November 2012: (from left to right), Feargal McCormack, Dr John Bradley, Pamela Arthurs, Annmarie O'Kane, Councillor Finnan McCoy, Joe Lavery, Councillor Jackie Crowe, Aidan Gough

Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière developing and adapting an innovative (MOT), in the offices of the Baden- tool for intercultural cross-border project Wuerttemberg regional government. The management, originally developed by keynote speakers were Dr Wolfgang the Euro-Institut for the French-German Streitenberger, Advisor to the Director border, for five other European border General for Regional Policy, and Dr regions (including the Irish border Joachim Beck, Director of the Euro- region). Each partner will customise the Institut. There was also a distinguished tool for the needs of their own region, so speakers panel drawn from the that there are five new tools containing European Commission, the European a common element, a border-specific Parliament, the Committee of the element and relevant local case studies. Regions, the Special EU Programmes Body (Chief Executive Pat Colgan), the In November 2012, the UK National Euro-Institut, AEBR and MOT. Agency for the Leonardo programme, ECORYS, described the first phase of The second phase of TEIN (2012-2014) TEIN as follows: (sub-titled ‘Professionalising Actors of Transfrontier Cooperation’, with the We found your project to be very acronym PAT-TEIN) is also part-funded worthwhile and interesting. The focus by the Leonardo programme. It is on cross-border cooperation clearly

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 199 demonstrates the added value of the EU dimension of the project. It was positive to see the structured nature of dialogue, evaluation and monitoring between the partners over the course of the project and the high quality of the products produced. The project’s core aims and objectives have been achieved and, in many cases, surpassed.

The TEIN website is at www.transfrontier.eu

BOOKS

In 2001 the Centre published, in association with Cork University Press, a series of short books containing essays by leading writers on key issues of interest to both Irish jurisdictions:

• Multi-Culturalism: the View from the Two Irelands by Edna Longley and Declan Kiberd, with a foreword by President Mary McAleese • Can the Celtic Tiger cross the Irish Border? by John Bradley and Esmond Birnie, with a foreword by Peter Sutherland • Towards a Culture of Human Rights in Ireland by Ivana Bacik and Stephen Livingstone, with a foreword by Mary Robinson

200 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Enda Kenny: Eamon Gilmore: 'I hold its Joachim Beck: 'a top project 'an important entity, it does work in very high regard' with a top partner - it would important work' be hard to find a better one in Europe'

WHAT THEY SAY researching, developing and promoting cross border co-operation. We welcome I think the Centre plays an important the success of the Centre in securing role, in that it provides quality reports INTERREG IVA funding, particularly in for people to study. Politicians as a rule relation to the third phase of Border don’t absorb reports like that on a regular People. The emphasis of this third phase basis, but I think it is important to have will be on incorporating specialist training people who can tell them: ‘Here is a really in cross-border information provision valuable report, here are the essential into the existing portfolios of a range items out of it - bear this in mind when of information providers in statutory you are talking to your counterparts from and non-statutory agencies in both other locations about the mutual benefits jurisdictions. We welcome this emphasis for the communities on both sides of on the sustainability of the Border People the border’. So it is an important entity, project, whose existence is currently it does important work. I have read a dependent on EU funding, and are number of its reports over the years and I pleased to partner the Centre for Cross value them greatly. Border Studies in this project. Border People has proven to be an invaluable The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, resource for people who wish to move January 2012 across the border in either direction to work, study or live, and this third phase I hold the work of the Centre for Cross will serve to enhance this resource Border Studies in very high regard. further. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Centre in 2013 The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign and wish Andy Pollak and his team every Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore TD, success with their work. January 2013 North South Ministerial Council Joint The Centre for Cross Border Studies Secretaries, Colm Shannon and continues to play an important role in Shane O’Neill, February 2013

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 201 Jeffrey Donaldson: 'I want Martin McGuinness: 'The Mary McAleese: 'an to thank the Centre for all Centre is leading the North- extraordinary dialogue' their work' South inter-connection process'

As both a cooperation partner and an all their work in helping to bring about expert on impact assessment I can only greater cross-border understanding in a say that the Centre for Cross Border number of key areas. Studies meets very high professional and quality standards, both in terms Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP, of the content and the methodology June 2009 of its work (as well as in its human relationships). The Centre’s concern The Centre for Cross Border Studies’ to create something of real value for team deserve our thanks and cross-border actors with its Impact congratulations for the tremendous Assessment Toolkit is reflected in the work they have been doing. It is work high acceptance of the toolkit by target that has also paid dividends in terms groups. I would also say that within the of research projects done and people TEIN network, the Centre contributes brought together from North and very pro-actively and is a most reliable South in conferences, seminars and and active partner. My final evaluation training courses. People have to be comment is that working with the Centre inter-connected, whether it is within is a real partnership at the highest the North, between North and South, possible level: the Impact Assessment or between East and West. That is Toolkit for Cross-Border Cooperation how we will all learn from each other. was a top project with a top partner – it The Centre is leading that North-South would be hard to find a better one in inter-connection process. It is therefore Europe. an honour and a pleasure to be here with you this morning to launch the Dr Joachim Beck, Director, Euro- 2011 Journal of Cross Border Studies Institute, Kehl, Germany, in Ireland. December 2011 Martin McGuinness MP MLA, NI I want to thank the Centre for Cross Deputy First Minister, March 2011 Border Studies and Andy Pollak for

202 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 Micheal Martin: Martin Fraser: 'fundamental Lucinda Creighton: 'an 'a courageous and to understanding how cross- invaluable resource for pioneering initiative' border cooperation works' practitioners right across Europe'

It is an honour and privilege to be able to have to strive to keep it going as much support the valuable work of the Centre as we can.’ for Cross Border Studies by launching the Journal of Cross Border Studies Martin Fraser, Secretary General, in Ireland today. One of the first things Department of the Taoiseach, and I did when I came to the Department Secretary to the Irish Government, of the Taoiseach in 2004-2005 was to March 2012 attend an earlier launch of the journal, and I have always found the journal I was delighted to attend the opening and the Centre’s other publications to of the Centre for Cross Border Studies be fundamental to understanding how in Armagh as Minister for Education in cross-border cooperation works on the November 1999, and I have watched island of Ireland. The first generation of with admiration as the Centre has North/South co-operators was working gone from strength to strength over away then: Tim O’Connor and Peter more than a decade since. This has Smyth in the NSMC, Andy Pollak and his been a courageous and pioneering colleagues in the Centre, Cooperation initiative begun and sustained at times and Working Together pioneering in of considerable political uncertainty. The health, and the International Centre for extremely high quality of the Centre’s Local and Regional Development getting research and analysis is understood going in the important area of spatial and respected now by decision-makers planning…..The word ‘quiet’ in the throughout the island, as well as by phrase ‘quiet success story’ used by the academics and practitioners further Taoiseach in his interview was key then afield. The Journal we are launching – this was quiet, slow, sensitive work. today can only add, once again, to Real progress was a trade-off against that fine reputation. This new edition is PR: quiet success was better than noisy packed tight with informative opinion friction. I believe the future will involve and insightful comment and will provide more, not less, such quiet work in an much food for thought for policy-makers all-island context. So this North-South and commentators North and South dimension remains really crucial: we over the period ahead.

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 203 Fianna Fail leader (then Minister for border – have a high regard for the Foreign Affairs), Micheál Martin TD, Centre and its work. The perceived April 2010 strengths of the Centre are its knowledge and networks in respect The Centre for Cross Border Studies of the Irish cross-border region. always takes a very fresh and innovative The Centre is seen as a small and approach, bringing together sources of flexible organisation, which “punches energy on both sides of the border that above its weight” in terms of its used to be back to back but are now in activities and reach, nationally and an extraordinary dialogue. internationally.

President Mary McAleese, 2. The Centre cannot, however, be February 2005 expected to be expert in all fields; it exists on a modest budget and expectations of its applied research EVALUATION QUOTES output must take account of the fact that it does not have the An external evaluation of the work of research resources which exist the INICCO ‘basket’ of EU INTERREG in university faculties or in larger funded projects was carried out in research institutes. Nevertheless, 2009-2012 by Indecon Economic through its networks on the island Consultants of Dublin. They concluded and internationally, it has been able that the Centre had exceded its target to take the lead on a number of of 14 evidence-based solutions to projects addressing identified gaps problems of public sector cross-border in areas of the cross-border agenda. cooperation by 100% (28 initiatives completed). 3. The importance of the Centre’s work on training and the development As part of the evaluation they sought the of individuals to help upskill them views of ‘high-level stakeholders’ with and disseminate good practices an interest in cross-border cooperation in a cross-border context was in Ireland. Indecon said these views highlighted by various stakeholders. were ‘consistent with our own evaluation In particular, a number of people of the programmes and the quantified consulted referred to the impact of evidence on activities.’ the Centre’s research and practical support for cooperation. An These stakeholders’ perceptions of example of senior policy makers the Centre’s achievements through the views on the Centre was indicated INICCO (now called INICCO-1) projects in the speech by Mary Bunting, included the following observations: Northern Joint Secretary of the NSMC, to the Transfrontier Euro- 1. ‘Overall, the stakeholders Institut Network (TEIN) delegates on consulted – which include senior 27 October 2011, where she public servants and private sector noted that: personnel from both sides of the

204 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 The Centre makes an excellent regions across different parts contribution to research and of Europe...Tomorrow, on the cooperation on the island second day of this conference, an of Ireland in areas such as Impact Assessment ‘Toolkit’ for education, training, health, ICT, Cross-border Cooperation will be the economy, citizens’ information launched. This toolkit promises to and a range of other practical become an invaluable resource areas. for practitioners right across Europe – not just in the border 4. The contribution of the Centre and region of Ireland. There is one INICCO to areas such as regional sentence in the toolkit which really development was also raised by stands out for me: ‘The proposed senior stakeholders. For example, activities should have a greater in our consultations Martin Fraser, effect at the level of the Cross- Secretary General of the Department border Territory...than would be of the Taoiseach, indicated his belief the case if the jurisdictions acted that the Centre for Cross Border separately.’ This, very concisely, Studies is engaged in valuable encapsulates the rationale of our work in a challenging context. Mr whole approach to North-South Fraser gave the example of the cooperation.’ opportunities identified in their work on health and on regional 6. There were a range of other development and indicated that positive views from senior these initiatives were very well stakeholders consulted. Sir George conceived. Quigley, Chairman of Bombardier Aerospace, said: 5. The value of the Centre’s contribution to the assessment I have seen them at close quarters of the impact of cross-border in various contexts and have projects is illustrated by remarks formed a very positive view of presented on behalf of the Irish their relevance, competence and Minister of State with responsibility effectiveness. for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, at the conference on I recall two instances in particular: ‘Cross-border Training and Impact 1) A major conference several Assessment in Ireland and Europe’ years ago in the Slieve Russell in Cavan on 27 October 2011: Hotel involving all the Irish I would like to commend the universities (with speakers from work of the Centre for Cross abroad, including Australia) to Border Studies and, in particular, consider how the universities, its Director, Andy Pollak, and north and south, could better Director of Research, Ruth Taillon. tap the international student They’ve put together a terrific market for undergraduate and line-up for this conference, with postgraduate students; participants from 10 border 2) A programme over several

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 205 years for the training of staff CCBS research funding has been in cross-border bodies or for the INICCO project – funded government departments dealing under the INTERREG IVA Public inter alia with cross-border issues. Sector Collaboration call. Indecon This was very imaginatively also believes that the provision conceived and executed, with an of research and insights such as impressive line-up of speakers.’ provided by INICCO may inevitably be of greater benefit to policy- Positive views were also expressed makers and we believe this is by a private sector representative consistent with its original rationale. organisation. Reg McCabe, Chief Executive of the IBEC-CBI Joint 2. One issue noted by a number of Business Council, indicated “a very stakeholders is that the Centre and positive view of CCBS and its work INICCO are not implementation and IBEC have developed a close agencies and that implementation of relationship with the Centre over time’. various initiatives, in practice, is often a difficult challenge.... One of the The Indecon evaluators also highlighted positives of INICCO is that it entails a number of future challenges and work by the Centre in collaboration research opportunities hfor the Centre: with other cross-border/island of Ireland organisations, with 1. ‘There is a perception by some steering/advisory groups who can stakeholders that the Centre is help to implement cross-border primarily focused on the public initiatives. However, ultimately, sector, and this raises the issue implementation is a matter for policy of whether more could be done makers. This suggests there is a to enhance collaboration with continual challenge for the Centre private sector organisations and/ to maintain its advocacy of cross- or provide research that could border collaboration with central meet identified needs of the private and local government and with sector. It is accepted, however, implementation agencies. that the Border People project has taken a business-oriented 3. Important for future policy is the fact approach to its user group meetings that in the course of developing its in 2011. A range of private sector projects, the Centre has assembled organisations have been engaged extensive relevant data about (giving their time free of charge) with the differing situations in both commitments for future involvement. jurisdictions across a number of Furthermore, the Border Economy sectors. It was suggested that a project focuses on the importance worthwhile exercise might be to of the private sector to the border assemble and further develop this region economy. However it is data so that it is easily accessible to important to keep in mind that since policy-makers. 2009 the overwhelming majority of

206 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF

Helen Johnston (chair), Senior Social Policy Analyst, National Economic and Social Council, Dublin, and former Director, Combat Poverty Agency Helen Johnston

Sir Bruce Robinson, former Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

Dr Daire Keogh, President, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra Sir Bruce Robinson Colin Stutt, independent economic consultant, Belfast

Ann McGeeney, independent consultant, South Down, and former Director, Cross-Border Centre for Community Development, Dundalk Institute of Technology

Dr Katy Hayward, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Ruth Taillon Programme Director of Sociology, Queen’s University Belfast

Ciaran Ó Cuinn, Executive Director of External and Strategic Affairs, Dublin City University

Tony Kennedy, former Chief Executive, Co-operation Ireland, and member, Northern Ireland Community Mairead Hughes Relations Council

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

[two vacancies]

The Company Secretary is Margaret Connolly. Andy Pollak

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 207 The Director of the Centre (until July 2013) is Andy Pollak, formerly religion and education correspondent and Belfast reporter with The Irish Times, and in the early 1990s coordinator of the Opsahl Commission. The Director Designate (to take up post in July 2013 on the retirement of the director) is Ruth Taillon, formerly CCBS Deputy Director, Research Coordinator with Border Action (partnership of Combat Poverty Agency and Pobal) and Director of the West Belfast Economic Forum.

The Deputy Director (finance and administration) isMairead Hughes.

The Director’s PA and Events Manager is Patricia McAllister. The Research and Training Officer isEimear Donnelly. The Border People Manager and Information Officer isAnnmarie O’Kane. The ICT and Administration Officer is CarolAnne Murphy.

Patricia McAllister CarolAnne Murphy Eimear Donnelly Annmarie O’Kane

208 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 EXTRACTS FROM 2011-2012 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 2010 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 2012

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2012 2011 £ £ £ £

Incoming resources/income Incoming resources from generated funds Activities for generating funds - 352,938 352,938 862,764 Incoming resources from charitable activities Other income resources 396,867 - 396,867 438,043

Total incoming resources 396,867 352,938 749,805 1,300,807

Resources expended/expenditure Charitable activities 355,991 283,439 639,430 1,118,190 Costs of generating funds 7,667 548 8,215 7,969 Governance Costs 3,750 - 3,750 3,650 Total resources expended 367,408 283,987 651,395 1,129,809 Net movement in funds/net income 29,459 68,951 98,410 170,998 and expenditure Total funds brought forward 278,302 581,086 859,388 688,390 at 1 August 2011 Total funds carried forward 307,761 650,037 957,798 859,388 at 31 July 2012

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 209 All amounts above relate to continuing operations of the Centre.

The Centre 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 material difference between the net movement in funds for the year and their historical cost equivalents.

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 JULY 2012

2012 2011 £ £

Current assets Debtors 1,107,936 1,237,058 Cash at bank 3,955 4,001

1,111,891 1,241,059 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (154,093) (381,671)

Net current assets 957,798 859,388

Funds Unrestricted 307,761 278,302 Restricted 650,037 581,086

Total funds 957,798 859,388

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 and awards for specific projects or administrative functions carried out by the company.

210 JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 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)

DUBLIN OFFICE

The Centre for Cross Border Studies c/o DCU Business School Dublin City University Dublin 9 Ireland

Tel: +353 (0)1 700 5265

E-mail addresses: [email protected] Andy Pollak (after July 2013: [email protected]) [email protected] Ruth Taillon [email protected] Mairéad Hughes [email protected] Patricia McAllister [email protected] Eimear Donnelly [email protected] Annmarie O’Kane [email protected] CarolAnne Murphy

Websites: www.crossborder.ie www.borderireland.info www.borderpeople.info www.universitiesireland.ie http://scotens.org www.transfrontier.eu

JOURNAL OF CROSS BORDER STUDIES IN IRELAND No.8 211 This Journal was designed by

Ashley Bingham Senior Designer Leslie Stannage Design Arbor Building 71-75 Donegall Pass Belfast BT7 1NR

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

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Dedicated to Sir George Quigley (1929-2013), including an interview with him on North-South cooperation