Cross-border co-operation not meeting its potential in employment, childcare and environment, warns ESRI report
The latest ESRI-Shared Island report also identifies a number of areas around employment, childcare and in education.
The Good Friday Agreement established a framework for formal cross-border co-operation on the island, creating six north-south bodies under the North South Ministerial Council.
The report states: 'Despite successes in a co-operative approach to tourism, progress in other strategic areas such as education, health, agriculture and the environment has not met its full potential.'
It argues there are advantages to 'substantially upscaling north-south co-operation' in these existing strategic areas and expanding the remit of collaboration to skills provision, foreign direct investment, labour market access and energy security.
The report identifies areas with policy implications, including much higher rates of early school-leaving in Northern Ireland having consequences for access and quality of employment, as well as productivity.
There are also differences in take-up of post-secondary qualifications, showing the 'potential to develop further education and training in Northern Ireland as a route to employment'.
The report says there is potential for mutual policy learning around the targeting of local areas or schools as a basis for addressing educational disadvantage, as inequality in this area has knock-on consequences for adult life changes including employment and health.
There is a need for workforce development in healthcare and housing supply in both jurisdictions, the report's authors state.
There are similar challenges in the 'gendered nature of care' and impacts on employment, with a need for continuing expansion of early-years and after-school care on both sides of the Border.
'Lone mothers face particular challenges in accessing high-quality employment in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, suggesting the need for appropriate education and training supports as well as childcare,' it says.
The latest ESRI report is a synthesis of 15 previous publications under the four-year work programme conducted for the Irish Government's Shared Island Unit. Taoiseach Micheál Martin is scheduled to launch the report at an event in Dublin city centre today where he will deliver a keynote address.
'We need data to inform all-island investment and co-operation priorities, as we build a shared future together on this island,' Mr Martin said.
'The huge untapped potential of all-island co-operation is a major takeaway from the ESRI's overarching report.
'This reflects the Government's commitments to expand our Shared Island Initiative, so that we bring co-operation to a new level.'
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