New opinion polling has provided important evidence of how the North West’s population regards the cross-border regional economy. There is overwhelming support amongst those living on both sides of the border for closer integration between Co. Donegal with Derry and Tyrone. This is no surprise for those of us living close to the border, who are used to dealing with two currencies and border roads where road signs vary from miles to kilometres.
The economic conditions in Co Donegal and those in the neighbouring council area of Derry and Strabane are very similar – each has the lowest disposable incomes in their respective jurisdictions and comparable challenges in attracting investment and creating jobs. Their peripheral locations and distance from their governments create practical and political difficulties.
Social connections between the two populations adjacent to the border are close – including Protestant communities separated by partition. The Church of Ireland diocese of Derry and Raphoe spans the two jurisdictions. A previous opinion poll suggested that Protestants in East Donegal feel alienated from governments in both the South and the North. One segment of the population especially keen for strengthened connectivity are those living in Donegal’s Inishowen peninsula – thousands of whom commute daily to work in the city.
Some 68% of respondents (71% in Northern Ireland) believe the North West should be recognised by the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive as a distinct economic sub-region, according to the LucidTalk poll. Support was highest amongst those living closest to the border.
Support for cross-border integration rose even more in respect of public services delivery, with 84% support for cross-border co-ordination of health services and an impressive 90% support for an integrated approach to transport infrastructure. There was 84% support for cross-border management of the environment and ecology.
An issue of particular concern to many local employers is the challenge of dealing with differences in tax, pensions and benefits between the two jurisdictions, which can be a significant irritant when employing cross-border workers, as well as for those employees themselves. While there was majority support for harmonisation and simplification of these arrangements on a cross-border basis, the level of support was the lowest at 54% for any of the propositions raised in the survey. It is reasonable to assume that while this is a matter of substantial interest to those immediately affected, it is regarded as irrelevant to many of those surveyed.
Opinion polling was conducted in response to a report I wrote for peacebuilding charity, the Holywell Trust. I examined the levels of existing cross-border co-operation and compared these to other cities that, like Derry, exist as an urban area spanning jurisdictions. Borders considered were those close to the Swiss city of Basel, the Basque region, US/Canada (where relations have deteriorated substantially in the last year) and urban areas of Thailand that bleed over into Lao and Myanmar.
Where these cross-border relationships work best, there are strong cross-border labour markets. These international travel-to-work areas are supported by mutual recognition of skills and qualifications, good public transport and road linkages and shared public infrastructure, which can include leisure and health facilities, as well as telecoms, water, sewerage and electricity infrastructure.
Comparing these arrangements with those in place between Derry/Strabane and Donegal is instructive. Freedom of Information requests to the two main investment agencies – Invest NI in the North and IDA Ireland in the South – revealed that both provide limited information to potential investors in relation to skills and qualifications within the travel-to-work area but across the other side of the border. Practical difficulties partially explain this, with different types of qualifications awarded, different statistical bodies and different census timings.
The very strong support in the opinion polling for improved and co-ordinated transport provision underlines the limitations of current arrangements. The A5 and other cross-border roads are inadequate for their level of use, as well as very dangerous. There have been fatalities on these cross-border roads in recent days.
Although there are proposals for a rebuilt rail link between Derry and Letterkenny that are recommended by the All-Ireland Rail Review, its construction is subject to capital funding being found and likely to take decades until construction and completion. Meanwhile, public transport between the region’s two main urban centres is inadequate, while it barely exists between Derry and some of its cross-border suburbs. Most of the cross-border bus services are operated by Irish providers, not Translink.
Understanding problems is of little use if it is not accompanied by the policies and resources to resolve them. Northern Ireland’s fiscal crisis means that it is short of finance to address these issues, with the Magee campus expansion seemingly at risk. But some of the challenges can be addressed without significant additional funding.
Local universities in the North West are engaged in a programme to improve cross-border recognition of skills and qualifications. Improving cross-border bus connectivity would have a cost, but not a massive one compared to its symbolic importance. Indeed, the Good Friday Agreement included provision for North-South co-operation on strategic transport planning, yet this did not lead to an implementation body. The same applies to environmental protection, pollution, water quality and waste management.
These are all areas where there is the potential for mutual benefit from stronger partnerships between the North and the South. Whether there is the political will to make progress is an entirely different question.