Ireland of Equals Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Expansion of the GFA - New Areas of Co-operation

Appendix 5 - NEW AREAS OF COOPERATION

(1) Community Development

All-Ireland Community Development: the Common Social, Economic and Inter-Regional Imperatives

Community development in the traditional sense is concerned with addressing capacity deficits within deprived communities. It strengthens the ability of communities to build there own specific systems and local skills base to engage with others in the decision making processes and policy developments that directly affect them. Local Community Development is a considered response to poverty, social exclusion and by extension disempowerment - however it is not the panacea to end poverty in Ireland.

Deprived communities and poverty constituencies in Ireland North and South share common experiences of exclusion and marginalisation. For example Women in Ireland suffer from similar types of discrimination in relation to:

Representation in Public Life; Poverty and Social Exclusion; Economic Deprivation; Employment Discrimination; Access to Affordable Childcare; Education; Health, Male Violence, Housing, Services for Older Women

Poverty and social exclusion in Ireland is not only sectorally comparable but spatially pervasive, inter-regionally and cross-border. Indeed, the border corridor represents the largest single geographical concentration of socio-economic deprivation and underdevelopment in Ireland.

In terms of regional development if the geographical areas that incorporate the border corridor are economically and socially interdependent so to are the adjoining regions that interface with border corridor. For example the border corridor connects to the North/East, the West, the Midlands and so on. Creating an institutionalised space for co-operation provides the opportunity for the promotion of coherent all-Ireland community development frameworks.

All-Ireland Community Development: the Structural and Policy Imperatives

Sinn Féin takes a comprehensive overview of community development and the essential requirements for its sustainability in the long term. In general it is the economic and political forces within the present system that are the causal factors for compounding discrimination, poverty and social exclusion in deprived areas. At the moment these causal factors cannot be regulated to any significant degree from within those deprived areas. Therefore, community development must have a coherent strategic structural and policy context.

The structural and policy antecedents for the creation of all-Ireland community development frameworks are already in place.

Tackling poverty and social exclusion through community development is a clear area of mutual and cross-border benefit. In that regard there is a synergy between addressing community development as an area of mutual and cross-border benefit and the functionality of the All-Ireland Ministerial Council (AIMC).

The AIMC must take decisions by agreement at an all-Ireland and cross-border level to be carried out by the one of the all-Ireland implementation bodies. In short the AIMC manages and oversees the work of all-Ireland implementation bodies.

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) was set up through the aegis of the AIMC as the designated managing authority for PEACE II and INTERREG IIIA. The SEUPB has an additional role in co-ordinating the all-Ireland dimensions of all the other EU support programmes on the island, such as EQUAL, LEADER and URBAN II. All of the abovementioned funds have been established to tackle poverty through building capacity (community development) in deprived areas throughout Ireland North and South and are interwoven into the respective regional development policies on the island.

For example, the 26/6 Counties Regional Development Plans each share a 'Common Chapter' that outlines areas of co-operation on a North South and cross-border basis. In terms of North South co-operation the Common Chapter recognises that the border corridor the most deprived area on the island of Ireland. The primary fund being used to address the needs of this area is INTERREG IIIA. The objectives of INTERREG IIIA are to overcome the social, economic and environmental problems caused by the existence on the border and also to promote cross-border networks involving, and benefiting, local communities - fundable projects must show that they are fully integrated. The INTERREG IIIA Community Initiative Programme (CIPS) has prioritised the development of human and institutional potential for cross-border co-operation to promote economic development and social cohesion.

INTERREG IIIA is divided into 4 Priorities - Priority 3 Civic and Community Networking is a dedicated cross-border community development section for which 19.7 million Euros have been allocated.

The guidance notes for Measure 1 of Priority 3 entitled Cross Border Social and Community Infrastructure Development states that the Measure is consistent with the 26 Counties Programme for Prosperity and Fairness in relation to the Operational Frameworks for Social Inclusion and Equality and 6 County's Programme for Government with reference to "Growing as a Community" and "Developing North/South, East/West and International Relations".All of Measure 3.1 objectives are to promote cross-border community development, between groups and networks and to:

"Increase opportunities for engagement at a strategic level between Government Departments and other relevant agencies, North and South, in support of community development approaches and thereby contribute to cross-border development"

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It is anticipated that the financial roll out of INTERREG IIIA Measure 3.1 will precipitate a rash of new fully integrated community development groups and programme work along the border corridor. INTERREG III also consists of two other strands B and C, which are 'trans-national' the island of Ireland qualifies for INTERREG in its entirety. Both of these funds offer the opportunity to promote large area based community development projects, create common policy, and develop joint community leadership programmes on an all-Ireland basis. These developments are set against the backdrop of other community groups being funded by other EU initiatives that run writ on an All-Ireland basis. Other EU community development funds such as EQUAL, URBAN and LEADER can also promote partnerships on any part of the island. The all-island aspects of these funds are being monitored by the all-Ireland implementation body, the SEUPB, the activities of which are accountable to the All-Ireland Ministerial Council.

However, all of the abovementioned activity does not preclude the fact that there is other equally important community development programmes happening on the island of Ireland outside the remit of EU funds. This is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of people living and working with deprived communities and socially excluded groups.

Community development on an all-Ireland and cross-border basis and is already underway. To promote coherent development for the benefit deprived communities throughout Ireland this de facto reality needs to be given formal recognition as area of Co-operation. It is clear from what has been outlined above that there are not only practical socio-economic and inter-regional imperatives but also comprehensive structural and policy contexts for promoting Community Development as a viable area for all-Ireland co-operation. In this regard Sinn Féin would also like to see:

The Community and Voluntary Sector begin to organise on an all-Ireland basis - either in partnership or independently of Government. The creation of regional development policies that will have increasingly all-Ireland/cross-border dimensions will also have a consequent social impact - the community and voluntary sector need to become organised at an all-Ireland level as well to shape and influence the policy development process.

The development of an all-Ireland Anti-Poverty Forum organised on an sectoral and area based basis to build relationships and share best practise in relation to promoting community development strategies, interfacing with government and other statutory agencies to ensure government policies North and South tackle need.

The creation of an all-Ireland Social Economy Forum and Agency

The development of a Integrated Area Plans on an all-Ireland basis

The Integrated Area Plans should be area based and constructively link spatial differentials and economic, social and physical development to break patterns of regional and inter-regional social exclusion progressively interfacing more prosperous and less prosperous areas in a mutually beneficial development framework on the island as a whole. The Integrated Area Plans should be generically defined by the following principles:

Empowering: developing the relative skills base through the provision of resources, timescales and appropriate structures that enable deprived and marginalised communities to confidently engage with others in the decision making processes that affect them

developing the relative skills base through the provision of resources, timescales and appropriate structures that enable deprived and marginalised communities to confidently engage with others in the decision making processes that affect them

Participative: ensuring that all of the key stakeholders, including the target constituencies have a direct input into the drafting, implementation and review of the Plans.

ensuring that all of the key stakeholders, including the target constituencies have a direct input into the drafting, implementation and review of the Plans.

Needs Based: focusing the strategy, through genuine participative engagement, the articulation of the actual needs of each area - locally, regionally and inter-regionally

focusing the strategy, through genuine participative engagement, the articulation of the actual needs of each area - locally, regionally and inter-regionally

Spatially Interdependent: mapping the need to redress spatial inequalities on an inter-regional basis that cause and compound deprivation and social exclusion, linking the border corridor with adjacent regions in an integrative and mutually beneficial community development framework for the whole of the island.

mapping the need to redress spatial inequalities on an inter-regional basis that cause and compound deprivation and social exclusion, linking the border corridor with adjacent regions in an integrative and mutually beneficial community development framework for the whole of the island.

Multi-Agency: reflecting local urban and rural deprivation and social exclusion as part of a wider regional, national socio-economic and systemic problem and as such requires a sustained and considered input from all key sectors and stakeholders, locally, regionally and nationally

reflecting local urban and rural deprivation and social exclusion as part of a wider regional, national socio-economic and systemic problem and as such requires a sustained and considered input from all key sectors and stakeholders, locally, regionally and nationally

Social Economy: recognising the importance and significant contribution of local economic activity that promotes social objectives and sustainable community development

recognising the importance and significant contribution of local economic activity that promotes social objectives and sustainable community development

All-Ireland: underpinning that urban and rural community development are sustainable in the long term if they coexist within the overarching context of all-Ireland community development policies that are co-ordinated, supportive and inclusive.

underpinning that urban and rural community development are sustainable in the long term if they coexist within the overarching context of all-Ireland community development policies that are co-ordinated, supportive and inclusive.

(2) Arts and Heritage

The Irish Cultural Revival

It is as common belief that there is no better reflection of the state of a nation than the status, breadth and vibrancy of its Arts and Culture. Ireland today is a prime example. The amazing growth of the arts in Ireland, which has brought a growing recognition across the world of Irish culture, is a strong indication of the seeds of the emerging new era of peace, unity, prosperity and justice. Culture and Arts in Ireland, emanating through the years of conflict have placed Ireland and Irish people and their culture firmly on the world map.

From Poetry to Literature, visual and plastic arts to the performing arts of Theatre, with the growth of drama, dance and puppets, to cinematic art, to music both Classical and popular, Irish Art has become a source of great national pride and a stream of light on a dim, violent and repressive world. The growth of civic arts centres, which has extended across the country, where local arts projects have sprung up, with galleries, theatres, media centres, plastic arts, often reflecting a growing empowerment of communities, is exciting, and a strong indication of the deep social forces at work in our contemporary society.

An important support to these developments has of course been the celtic tiger, especially in the south, which has enabled some funding of arts projects, and has certainly brought a surge of commercial and civic development in building. But equally important to this revival has been the growth of informal co-operation between arts and cultural bodies on an all Ireland basis.

This important work of co-operation needs formalised now in the form of a new area of co-operation in Arts and Heritage.

Annual Joint meetings between the two arts councils have explored and areas of co-operation, and undertaken some more significant initiative in the broad field of arts and culture.

Already the Joint Committee of the Arts Councils and sought to explore and develop cross border initiative for example the touring of exhibitions and performing arts, training and education through the arts, publications, and the support for high-cost art form delivery, for example Opera, Ballet and Orchestra, the channelling of EU funding into Ireland to support and encourage the arts, and the promotion of Irish Culture abroad. These are important new developments that a Formal Area of Co-operation on the Arts will institutionalise and foster.

For example there has already been joint funding of a number of all-Ireland activities and organisation by the councils. An indication of what can be done is given by such initiatives as the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Monaghan, the North South Touring drama Scheme, which is supported by both councils, the annual North/South Dance Colloquium, which was organised jointly by the two Arts Councils. There has been several cross border projects of an All Ireland nature between University campuses like the Poet's Chair, which was set up between Queens, TCD and UCD to mark the standing of Irish poets, and exploring the potential for all-Ireland links with the £30 Million plans for an Irish Academy of Performing arts at three campuses in the 26 Counties by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

There has been further co-operation between the Chief Northern Opera provider (Castleward Opera) and the Dublin based Opera Theatre Company, and joint initiatives between the 6 County Film Commission and the Irish Film Board, and close contact and in co-operation has been developed between the Ulster and RTE Orchestras, which has enabled people is the regions to have access to the experience of live orchestral concerts, which until a decade ago, were limited to the capital city audiences. Co-operation between the councils has also provided an information initiative for artists who seek opportunities in the international arena, an important development in what was historically of major importance to Ireland -, the spreading of Irish culture and learning into the European centres of learning, and Ireland's engagement in the cross fertilisation of ideas internationally.

Area of Co-operation - formalising the informal links

There is no better time than the present to formalise these areas of co-operation in the arts and culture, to deepen and support these exciting and worthwhile initiative in creating Arts and Culture Area of co-operation. The very initial steps that have already been taken in all Ireland co-operation in Culture and Arts, suggest the huge scope there is for further development through co-operation as a central part and driving force to bring the new Ireland that the institutions initiated under the GFA are to bring into existence.

The Remit of Arts and Heritage as an Area of Co-operation

The remit of this area of co-operation must expand upon the good work started by the Arts councils working in co-operation to include:

Defence of indigenous culture. An Arts Area of co-operation must provide a bulwark for the defence of quality, a protection of indigenous arts and culture, against influences of commercialisation and 'dumbing down', which have accompanied our increasingly globalised world, and have been one of the 'downsides' of the Celtic Tiger. An important field where protection of indigenous All Ireland culture, and the raising of cultural standards to levels which reflect the Arts revival in Ireland, is that of the media, newspapers, journals and especially television, where the paucity of indigenous programmes, and their low quality, and interest, on the only all Ireland state television station, RTE, compares most unfavourably with TG4, which provides an indication of what can be done on relatively small budget, by people of high ability.

An Arts Area of co-operation must provide a bulwark for the defence of quality, a protection of indigenous arts and culture, against influences of commercialisation and 'dumbing down', which have accompanied our increasingly globalised world, and have been one of the 'downsides' of the Celtic Tiger. An important field where protection of indigenous All Ireland culture, and the raising of cultural standards to levels which reflect the Arts revival in Ireland, is that of the media, newspapers, journals and especially television, where the paucity of indigenous programmes, and their low quality, and interest, on the only all Ireland state television station, RTE, compares most unfavourably with TG4, which provides an indication of what can be done on relatively small budget, by people of high ability.

Despite the great revival in so many arts in Ireland over the last decade, there is a marked absence in the media, especially television of community involvement. In comparison with other European and North American countries where community television, giving free access to communities and community interests across the air waves is widespread and an important source of community empowerment and good innovative television. Ministers of Arts and Heritage, working together in co-operation, need to support and fund community access to the air waves through local community television, through non-profit making media networks.

The most accessible and prevalent of all the visuals 'arts' is advertising, which is inflicted, with choice on all the people on the island. It needs to be part of the Joint Ministerial area of co-operation to monitor advertising standards and controls, and consider legislation to regulate the widespread pollution of our environment by this often offensive 'art form' to promote consumerism across our society.

Reviewing Legislative change

An Area of Co-operation in the arts needs to look at legislative change that can foster the Arts. The examples of the Tax breaks for resident artists, or the stipulation in law that building projects over £100,000 must put aside 1% of the project's budget toward creative art have been very important groundwork to fostering the arts in Ireland. The involvement of the whole community in local arts projects through the requirement that there be formal consultation within the community concerning choices can be very important to the developing and extending arts culture across the Island.

Developing community arts

The different Arts programmes especially those which have begun to seed across Ireland in small communities and local arts centres, provide an outstanding medium for developing inclusion, social cohesion, empowerment of communities and provide enriching life long learning opportunities. The development of local arts programmes, within a strong policy commitment to targeting social need and regional inequalities, is an area which needs carefully monitored, and proactively addressed through the Arts area of co-operation. Sinn Fein holds the position that an all-Ireland funding agency to support community arts is central to the development of our society as one of equals. The work of co-operating in All Ireland Arts funding is central to achieving these goals. Private and corporate sponsorship, concentrating, as it tends to do, on high profile single projects promoting one artist of repute, for the purpose often of promoting the company, is no substitute for adequate state funding of the arts.

Arts a medium for cross community/cross cultural development

But equally support and funding for local arts projects offers important opportunities to build mutual understanding and appreciation of other cultures and traditions, to develop cross community understanding through joint arts project, and to sow the seeds of multicultural diversity in a our society with the increasing numbers of immigrants to Ireland from disparate cultural backgrounds and traditions. The Arts area of co-operation would have a central role in developing cross-cultural understanding and laying the foundations for the non-racial society Sinn Fein is trying to build in Ireland. Arts across Ireland have a major part to play in fostering and nurturing multicultural development.

Summary

A cultural resurgence of the intensity that has occurred in contemporary Ireland is a volatile and fragile phenomenon, arising out of the deepest social and economic forces in society. It has many enemies, especially in the pervasive commercialism and global influences prevalent in contemporary Ireland.

Co-operation between Ministers and departments in the area of arts needs to extend to: -

Joint all Ireland state funding and support for arts through the communities,

The monitoring of legislation and standards,

The fostering of arts to promote

o Community empowerment, life long learning,

o The celebration and understanding of cultural diversity,

o The promotion of community media to bring arts to the widest possible community.

These are core goals, crucial to the development of an Ireland of Equals, where all share in and enjoy the outstanding cultural and artistic rebirth in this small island which has drawn to our island international recognition and acclaim.

(3) Economic Co-operation)

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It is clear that the range of Economic Development Agencies need to initiate meaningful cooperation across the range of their activities. This would reduce inefficiencies in terms of parallel staff structures but would also exclude possibilities of statutory bidding for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by the IDA and INI.

Under the GFA, a number of non-formalised areas of cooperation between Statutory Agencies, North and South, were initiated. These will need to be built upon and strengthened as part of all-Ireland cooperation in the sphere of Economics. In particular, the Cooperation should focus on formalising and deepening links between the following 6 County and 26 County agencies (respectively).

The Central Finance Group and the Department of Finance.

N.I. Statistics and Research Agency and the Central Statistics Office

The Health and Safety Executive and the Health and Safety Authority

Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland and the IDA (particularly involving InterTradeIreland)

The Industrial Research and Technology Unit and Forfás (including both scientific services groups)

Such links would include holding joint conferences, advancing integrated policies and programmes, joint training programmes, joint conferences on issues of an all-Ireland nature, joint accreditation and standards and the formation of interdepartmental working groups on issues of mutual importance.

In addition to these formal linkages and inter-Departmental working groups, there are a large number of cross-border initiatives supported by Departments either side of the Border which promote and support the development of key sectors within the Economy. These numerous groups include such initiatives as e-Business (the North-South Digital Corridor Group), the North West Marketing Initiative, the IBEC/CBI Business Development programme. They also include sectoral schemes such as the Furniture Development Programme (Phase II), Network 2000, the Craft Initiative, Innovation 2, PLATO, Tradenet Ireland, CAM and ERNACT which seek to promote cross-border competitiveness, exploit market opportunities, facilitate cross-border networking and increase export sales. The work of these initiatives and programmes needs to be formalised and built upon in a sustainable manner.

These are complemented by a large number of cross-border Business Shows in a wide variety of sectors; the work of Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland in facilitating these should be supported and where possible these should have significant environmental and social elements.

Finally, the local corridor initiatives such as Tyrone-Donegal Partnership, the Strabane-Lifford Development Commission, the Newry/Dundalk Community Leadership & Enterprise Development programme and the Newry/Dundalk Business Linkages Programme should be replicated throughout the border area. These groups will need to be seen to be much more representative of local communities and need to be fully transparent in their activities to encourage greater participation and community social and economic empowerment.

(4) Public Investment as an Area of Co-operation

As indicated previously, the AIMC identified the potential for developing Strategic Investment/Infrastructure as an area of North-South cooperation. This would clearly focus on harmonising and linking the work of the two bodies which have been established North and South with remits covering this area: the Strategic Investment Board (established on 19 February 2003 by OFMDFM in the 6 Counties) and the National Development Finance Agency (established on 1 January 2003 in the 26 Counties).

These bodies were created in parallel processes both in the 6 and 26 Counties and both share a common role of advising, coordinating and supporting the development of Public Investment Projects with a particular focus on alternative sources of 'financing'. In short, they will support the process under which Public Investment, Services and Development are provided through PFI (Private Finance Initiative) and PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships). These bodies were structured so as to limit their democratic accountability, apparently driven by the wish to institutionalise PFI on an all-Ireland basis, leaving the process under the control of Departments and Agencies currently beyond Republican scrutiny or beyond accountability to local communities. Quite clearly, this is a premeditated attempt to co-opt the demand for greater all-Ireland integration into a political agenda, which will curtail the ability of the people to strive for economic and social self-determination.

Sinn Féin recognise the importance of all-Ireland Public Finance and Funding Planning and Management structures and areas of cooperation in the transition period. In particular, we note the efficiency gains that would accrue from the rationalisation of Procurement Agencies North and South. We also note the need for the optimally beneficial usage of private sources of capital to finance Public Sector developments in an environment where fiscal freedoms have been seriously restricted by entry into the EMU and by remaining Westminster control over the levels of Public Funding.

Sinn Féin would like to see All-Ireland Cooperation in Public Investment, which would formalise the planning of infrastructural investment and the development of public sector service provision. This would necessarily need to review the issue of Public Finance and the Funding of Public Sector developments. In particular, it would offer opportunities to bypass Westminster-generated limitations on Expenditure through Resource Account Budgeting Mechanisms. It could also proactively assess the potential for setting progressive, harmonised rates of taxation and accessing alternative sources of income (e.g. through Bond Issues and the establishment of sectoral non-profit distributing trusts to oversee the development and provision of public services).

In the absence of such a progressive and meaningful form of all-Ireland Public Investment Planning, it is clear that any all-Ireland cooperation between the two existing Statutory Agencies would need to be subject to rigorous controls to ensure the best possible value from Private Sector sources of Finance. These would include:

The integration of wider Social, Economic and Environmental Policy Objectives into the Public Sector Procurement Process.

The separation of the Finance from the Operational elements of all PFI packages.

The requirement that any PFI Consortium operates 'open book' accounting to ensure transparency in the use of public funds.

The requirement that PFI Consortia be limited in the percentage of profits that they can generate as a result of contracts awarded.

The maintenance of standards of public service provision and the guaranteeing of equal terms and conditions for transferred Public Sector Employees (including the right to Union Membership and Recognition).