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IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT FOR NORTH-SOUTH AND CROSS-BORDER RELATIONS IN IRELAND

IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT FOR NORTH-SOUTH AND CROSS-BORDER RELATIONS IN IRELAND. SDLP, Cookstown, 22 September. EU SUPPORT THROUGH PEACE/INTERREG. 'Strand Two' the quiet success story of Good Friday Agreement: North-South relations never better

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IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT FOR NORTH-SOUTH AND CROSS-BORDER RELATIONS IN IRELAND

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  1. IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT FOR NORTH-SOUTH AND CROSS-BORDER RELATIONS IN IRELAND SDLP, Cookstown, 22 September

  2. EU SUPPORT THROUGH PEACE/INTERREG • 'Strand Two' the quiet success story of Good Friday Agreement: North-South relations never better • EU funding through INTERREG and PEACE worth nearly €3.5 billion since 1990 • 1,300 businesses collaborating; over 100 public sector cooperation projects; 50,000 health users benefitting; Peace Bridge and Enterprise • Border region local authorities particular beneficiaries

  3. FUTURE POST-BREXIT PROSPECTS • Extreme uncertainty all round • Examples of cross-border cooperation between EU and non-EU countries, e.g. Norway-Sweden, France-Switzerland • Post-Brexit cross-border cooperation would have to be sanctioned by London • Or would need stand alone legal agreement • Is there the political will to do this in London?

  4. BUSINESS AND TRADE • Republic of Ireland more important to Northern exporters than vice-versa • Annual trade in goods €1.8 billion north to south; €1.2 billion south to north • Northern SMEs will be hit hardest • These are the firms that employ the largest proportion of Northern Ireland workforce

  5. POSITION OF IRISH GOVERNMENT • A real nightmare as Ireland's two closest political and trading partners divide • Peace Process, including N-S relations, the best argument for a special case for Northern Ireland • Confusion in Dublin: e.g. mishandling of all-island forum to discuss Brexit • Why has the Taoiseach been converted to a Border Poll?

  6. A SLIGHTLY POSITIVE NOTE • Northern Ireland going to be short of friends in Europe when UK exits EU • Only government that will speak up for NI's interests in Brussels (and London?) will be the Irish Government • That point getting through in Northern political (including unionist), civil service, business and farming circles • Significant increase in Dublin-bound traffic in coming months and years?

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