North-South trading has doubled in 15 years

TRADE levels between companies in the Republic and Northern Ireland have more than doubled in the past 15 years, a Dáil Committee heard yesterday.

Addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement were representatives of North-South trade body, InterTrade Ireland (chief executive Liam Nellis and strategy/policy director Aidan Gough), who said that roughly 10,000 more companies are now involved in cross-border trading activities than before the Belfast Agreement was implemented 11 years ago.

Despite admitting that the level of cross-border trade has declined in the past 12 months – mainly due to the recession and the virtual collapse of the construction industry – Mr Gough said that the Irish Government’s historic forecast that North-South trade levels could eventually increase by 400% on the back of the agreement was still realistic.