The Republic and Northern Ireland must co-operate significantly more if both are to deal with international economic challenges, a study commissioned by the Irish and British governments has declared.
The study, the first of its type, "represents a new level of North/South economic co-operation", said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern whose sentiments were echoed by Northern Secretary Peter Hain.
Proposing greater co-operation on infrastructure, health, education and efforts to attract foreign industry, the report said cross-Border co-operation would create more jobs, save money and make both jurisdictions more competitive.
The "existence of a political Border" should not impair efforts to create an internationally competitive and socially united island, said the report, which was commissioned last February.
Officials from the two governments, the Northern Ireland Executive and NI departments, along with a number of outside experts, including Dr John Fitzgerald of the Economic Social Research Institute, produced the study.
Setting "high-level goals", the report targeted the "critical" completion of the Dublin/Belfast motorway/dual carriageway by 2009, and significant investment in other cross-Border routes, along with the examination of better rail links from Dublin and Belfast to the northwest.
"This is a key prerequisite for the development of thriving cross-Border economic corridors, especially in those parts of the island that have historically enjoyed less economic success," it went on.
Besides existing co-operation to improve Dublin/Belfast rail services, the two governments will next year consider ways of linking this line more efficiently with connections for elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
Extra electricity generating capacity must be created on the island, along with gas storage plants and better inter-connections of the power systems by 2012. The Irish Government is studying ways of bringing Corrib gas, if it ever comes ashore, to Donegal, via Sligo, while the Northern Executive is examining ways of bringing the pipeline into Fermanagh.
Both governments are also about to examine ways of storing liquefied natural gas - a source likely to become more important for security of supply as years go by - for the island at one location.
Equally, the governments are researching ways of linking renewable energy plants into an all-island grid that, if successful, would allow for small-scale electricity generation.
The wireless telephone spectrum should be available on an all-Ireland basis by next spring, which could spur broadband companies to offer high-speed services in remote areas.
Businesses will also be asked shortly to support the construction of a plant to recycle paper.
On science and technology, the report recommends that universities collaborate to create "a stronger base" attractive to internationally regarded scientists, and create cross-Border graduate schools for top Irish students.
