Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CROSS-BORDER PLAN TO BOOST ECONOMY
Varadkar hails ‘Dublin-belfast corridor unity’
A NEW cross-border initiative aimed at strengthening economic ties between Dublin and Belfast could bring both sides “closer together”, the Republic’s deputy leader said.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar claimed the capitals had “turned their backs” on each other due to the events of the past 100 years but it was now time for the cities to be marketed as one.
Eight local authorities from both sides of the border came together to set up the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor in response to issues facing the region as identified by a joint report from Dublin City University and Ulster University.
The report, the Dublin-belfast Economic Corridor: Current Profile, Potential For Recovery & Opportunities For Co-operation, found it was an opportune time to create a North/south economic corridor “given the challenges the region faces as it comes to terms with the impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Speaking at the virtual launch of the initiative, Mr Varadkar told how the corridor was about enhancing economic and social co-operation for growth and development between Dublin and Belfast, as well as the areas in between.
He said: “For millennia now, the major economic centres on the island have been Dublin, since it was founded by the Vikings, and Belfast in the Nort-east.
“There are two million people living along the corridor. It’s not just about Dublin, Belfast – it’s everything in between.
“To a certain extent, because of the events of 100 years ago, these two major urban centres, this major economic corridor, was split and turned their backs on each other in a way.
“I would like that to turn around.” The
Fine Gael leader questioned why Dublin was not twinned with Belfast when it was linked with Barcelona, Beijing and Nablus in Palestine.
And Mr Varadkar also said
“it would really change things” to see high-speed rail linking Dublin and Belfast in under an hour.
Stormont’s Finance Minister Conor Murphy explained that the pooling of assets and “marketing the areas as one” would be beneficial.
The Sinn Fein MLA said: “It would be madness not to try and take advantage, on an international scale, in terms of marketing and branding, but also domestically across the island.”
Minister of State for Northern Ireland Robin Walker added it is “clear the two economies need to work with each other as seamlessly as possible”.
He said: “Greater prosperity in one will benefit the other, and your report draws comparison with the Oxford, Cambridge, Milton Keynes corridor.”
The report found the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor had a population in excess of two million people and was younger and more diverse than any other part of Ireland.
It also had the best-educated workforce, with 34% of the population holding third-level qualifications.
These two major cities had turned their backs in a way LEO VARADKAR YESTERDAY