Lack of all-Ireland approach is out of border

CROSS-BORDER co-operation in key areas identified by the Good Friday Agreement has not met its full potential, according to a report.

- BY CILLIAN SHERLOCK

The latest ESRI-Shared Island study also identifies a number of areas around employment, childcare, and education.

The Good Friday Agreement established a framework for formal cross-border co-operation on the island, creating six North-South bodies under the North South Ministerial Council.

The report states: “Despite successes in a co-operative approach to tourism, progress in other strategic areas such as education, health, agriculture, and the environment has not met its full potential.”

It argues there are advantages to “substantially upscaling North-South co-operation” in these existing strategic areas and expanding the remit of collaboration to skills provision, foreign direct investment, labour market access and energy security.

The report identifies areas with policy implications, including much higher rates of early school leaving in Northern Ireland having consequences for access and quality of employment, as well as productivity. There are also differences in take-up of post-secondary qualifications, showing the "potential to develop further education and training in Northern Ireland as a route to employment”.