31 Jan 2024, 16:19
The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will meet on Thursday February 1st for a discussion on finance and economics.
The meeting will take place in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House between 09:30-12:30.
Representatives from InterTradeIreland, Martin Robinson, Director of Strategy and Stuart Mathieson, Research Manager will appear before the Committee.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Fergus O’Dowd said: “InterTradeIreland is one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies, established in 1999 under Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement with a remit to support and develop all-island trade and economic co-operation. Their work supports businesses across the island to grow through trading cross-border, innovating, collaborating and attracting investment
In 1998, the year the Good Friday Agreement was signed, cross-border trade was worth around €2 billion. By 2022, it had grown to around €12 billion, a record high. The most recent figures published by the CSO show that from January to November 2023, cross-border trade in goods alone was worth €9.5 billion.
Ireland remains Northern Ireland’s largest export market. Last year, research by the Economic and Social Research Institute into cross-border trade, showed that goods trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland has now risen to be above the levels expected between two neighbouring economies of this size, demonstrating strong integration between both economies
“We look forward to discussing the challenges and opportunities for cross border trade.”
Watch the meeting live here or on the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.