 |
 |
|
 |
||
|
MAGINNESS WANTS ACTION ON NORTH-SOUTH FORUM SDLP European candidate Alban Maginness MLA said issues such as the economic downturn and cross-border shopping could be usefully tackled by the North South Parliamentary Forum, which should have been convened long ago. Speaking at the Irish Labour Party Conference the North Belfast Assembly Member said: “The North South Forum was a commitment in the Good Friday Agreement and reaffirmed at St Andrews. Working parties have finally been set up, but we need a timeframe so that MLAs and TDs can get together and tackle some of the big issues facing us. “We need a north-south representative body to guide and indeed to motivate the North South Ministerial Council. Social and economic integration between the two parts of this island is actually moving very fast from the bottom up and we need institutions which can keep up and even lead. We haven’t even begun to estimate all the economies of scale that could result from deeper co-operation. "The all-Ireland economy is already a reality in many respects and we need to make sure our approach to banking support dovetails north and south. We are all feeling the pain of the credit crunch, so we need a forum where the futility of a beggar-thy-neighbour approach can be pointed out. The same businesses are employing people making and selling the same Irish goods on both sides of the border. Yet we have a situation which sees Irish ministers calling on Irish people not to shop in certain parts of this island out of a perverse sense of patriotism. That is not right. “We also have a very substantial cross-border constituency which is not fully represented – the many thousands of people who cross the border every day to work, do business or avail of a service and sometimes find themselves getting caught in a double web of red tape. From health care to transport to income tax and even using mobile phones, they face particular problems which could be sorted out with a bit of goodwill on both sides. The North South Parliamentary Forum could have a special duty of care towards them. “Far too many important issues have fallen victim to the five-month Sinn Fein – DUP stand-off. There is now no reason why we can’t get real movement on the forum within a matter of months, if they just get their act together.” |
||
 |
||
