Green Party backs all-island corporation tax and free digital TV services

At a meeting in Dublin ahead of the opening of the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday, Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD and the Party's Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly Brian Wilson outlined a range of areas in which cooperation between the two jurisdictions would improve economic, environmental and cultural development. They were joined by the Green Party's general election candidate for Louth Cllr Mark Dearey.

Deputy Sargent said: "The Green Party is about secure and sustainable solutions to the policy challenges in front of us. At our taxation launch last week we demonstrated that our economic approach is prudent yet fair. Our policies on energy, transport, housing and health are grounded in pragmatism, sustainability and equality, and will create new, value-added jobs. Given the historic events that will unfold in Stormont this week, we feel it is the right time to outline Green proposals on issues with a specific cross-border dimension.

"We can deliver on these proposals because we are the only political party to have national as well as local representatives in both political jurisdictions in Ireland, as well as in the Scottish Assembly, in councils and regional assemblies across England and Wales, and in the European Parliament. We can work with our Green colleagues in government in Italy, Finland and the Czech Republic to gain support for these policies at an EU level, and they will be top of our agenda should we enter government after May 24."

MLA for North Down Brian Wilson said: "Just as Harland and Wolff – which is so much a part of Northern Ireland's troubled past – has reached out for new opportunities in the production of cutting-edge renewable energy technologies, so the communities in Northern Ireland have begun to reach out to the Greens to find a new political home. The Green Party – with its principled support for non violence, human rights, local democracy and environmental sustainability – is at the threshold of an historic breakthrough on both parts of the island. In the North, we aim to ensure that the new name for the peace process is sustainable and inclusive development for all citizens, without exception."

Green Party candidate for Louth Cllr Mark Dearey said: "Economic development on the island of Ireland should not be inhibited by the existence of a political border. All-island initiatives and cooperation in such areas as broadcasting, telecommunications, energy, and transport will greatly assist in this development. The Green Party believes that collaborative approaches to corporation tax, foreign direct investment, and R&D will help to stimulate cross-border enterprises and development across the island, including opportunities to tap into Europe's multibillion euro market in green technologies.

"The Green Party supports reducing the rate of corporation tax in Northern Ireland to the 12.5% level that we enjoy in the Republic. Such a change would provide greater incentives for investment in Northern Ireland and assist companies operating on an all-island basis. A harmonised corporation tax rate would be one of most effective ways of creating growth, jobs and innovation in both parts of the island.

"Broadcasting regulation, like telecoms and energy regulation, is increasingly difficult to achieve without a cross-border approach and cross-border institutions. In government we will work with the Northern Ireland Assembly and the UK authorities to develop an all-island digital 'free to air' broadcasting service carrying RTE1, RTE2, TG4, TV3 and the BBC/ITV public service channels from Northern Ireland. People can already pay for this type of service on cable or satellite, but we believe that, in the interest of fostering cultural understanding and development, and as we are still in the design phase of the new digital transmissions systems, these channels should be freely accessibly across the island," concluded Cllr Dearey.

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Dublin, 6 May 2007

Green Party parliamentary meeting on all-island cooperation

The following commitments arose out of a meeting today between Green Party politicians including Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD, member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Down Brian Wilson MLA and Green Party candidate for Louth Cllr Mark Dearey .

Economic development on the island of Ireland should not be inhibited by the existence of a political border. All-island initiatives and cooperation in such areas as broadcasting, telecommunications, energy, and transport will greatly assist in this development. The Green Party also believes that similar collaborative approaches to corporation tax, foreign direct investment, and R&D will help to stimulate cross-border enterprises and development across the island, including opportunities to tap into Europe's multibillion euro market in green technologies.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Harmonise corporation tax

In recognition of the benefits of an attractive level of corporation tax and, in order to provide greater incentives for investment in Northern Ireland, the Green Party supports the call for a reduction in the rate of corporation tax in Northern Ireland to the 12.5% level in the Republic. Such a change could also assist companies in operating on an all-island basis. Any such harmonisation would have to be in conformity with EU rules. However, the EU Commission President, Jose Manuel Barosso, is now establishing a task force to assess how European funds should be used in Northern Ireland. We will seek to work within the context of that review to try to secure an all-island corporation tax rate on the basis that it would be one of most effective ways of realising the task force's aims, namely creating growth, jobs and innovation.

A common approach to foreign direct investment

The Green Party believes that the total amount of foreign direct investment into the island of Ireland can be increased, for example, through more joint trade missions, publicity campaigns etc.. The Good Friday Agreement has initiated cooperation between a number of agencies, North and South, and this must be built upon, especially in the economic sphere. Areas of cooperation in attracting FDI will be developed between Invest NI and the IDA. FDI can also be increased by reducing the regulatory burden and the cost of cross-border administration, fostering enterprise zones along the border, and, in other ways such as the R&D collaboration presented below.

Research and development collaboration

The Green Party will

* Foster greater cohesion between the higher education institutions across Ireland: Irish universities should be encouraged to scale up their collaboration with their Northern counterparts. This would include facilitating the exchange of students and academic staff between universities in order to maximise their specialist contribution to the innovation capacity of the whole island.
* Establish an all-island interface to allow enterprises to access intellectual property and new technologies emerging from third level institutions. It would be resourced with development and co-ordination officers who will monitor business needs and redistribute expertise/data accordingly. The interface would also include a system of interactive learning between all Ireland-based innovation organisations, so that the full spectrum of knowledge-creation would be accessible across the island.
* Facilitate small and medium sized enterprises to work together on a cross-border basis for the drawing down of EU funds;
* Strengthen collaborative links between the Industrial Research and Technology Unit in Northern Ireland and Forfás in the Republic.

BROADCASTING

Broadcasting regulation, like telecoms and energy regulation, is increasingly difficult to achieve without a cross-border approach and cross-border institutions.

We will work with the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Authorities to develop an all-island digital 'free to air' broadcasting service carrying RTE1, RTE2, TG4, TV3 and the Northern Ireland BBC/ITV public service main channels. This will ensure that in 2009, when the analogue system is closed, we will be able to receive free-to-air services for these channels.

HEALTH

Health is a major cross border issue, especially in places like the North West. Green Party members have been involved in campaigns arguing for the provision of cross-border satellite services in areas like Donegal and Derry.

The Party supports decentralisation and autonomy for local hospitals, and extra funding for transport to and from regional hospitals. We support cross-border co-operation so that patients in border counties can receive treatment in their nearest suitable hospital.

Brian Wilson MLA will be monitoring a commitment by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to have the new Health Minister Michael McGimpsey meet with the Donegal cancer care campaign. We fully support the campaign's objective of ridding the country of treatment by 'geographical lottery.'

TRANSPORT

One of the keys to developing sustainable enterprise (including tourism) throughout the island of Ireland is a well-integrated, all-island transport network. Derry City was the historic northern terminal of the Western Rail Corridor. We will fast-track the Western Rail Corridor, linking Claremorris and Shannon in the first phase and then initiate steps for the restoration of the Sligo, Donegal, Derry, and Letterkenny line to link to the Belfast line. We support Donegal County Council's moves to commission a report on the restoration of the old North Western rail links in the county.

Transport currently accounts for 19% of the Republic of Ireland's CO2 emissions and 31% of Northern Ireland's emissions. Many people are already making the changes necessary for the reduction of our carbon emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels. Personal carbon allowances provide further incentives and rewards for individuals to cut their personal emissions. This system is currently being investigated by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the United Kingdom.

Personal carbon allowances will give every adult resident in Ireland the equal right to emit a certain amount of CO2 per annum. These allowances are tradable, which means that if you do not use your full amount, you can sell them. Anybody who wishes to emit more than their personal allowance will be able to purchase extra allowances to do so. Therefore, there is a clear incentive for all individuals to cut their personal emissions and they will be rewarded for doing so. This system will allow people flexibility in how they chose to decrease their emissions and it will promote innovative thinking. That all people are given an equal right to emit CO2 makes this an equitable system. Given that the transport sector is a high emitter, the personal carbon allowances will first be applied there. Every person will be given a smart card, similar to a credit card, which will hold their carbon allowance data. Upon buying fuel for motor vehicles they will use part of their annual carbon allowance.

For a system such as this to work, people must be offered real choices on alternative forms of fuel and transport, e.g., safe cycling, biofuels and a properly functioning public transport system. Creating a modern, efficient public transport system on an all-island basis would not only add to our ability to cut our carbon emissions, but it would also provide a boost for businesses and the economy.