9 May 2000

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM MEETS IN NEWRY

The fourth meeting of the Economic Development Forum was held in Newry today.

The body was set up in 1999, following the publication of Strategy 2010 which reviewed Northern Ireland’s economic policy. Its role is to advise Government on matters affecting the development and future competitiveness of the Northern Ireland economy and to oversee the implementation and monitoring of Strategy 2010’s recommendations.

At the meeting, the Forum considered progress on Strategy 2010’s ‘Enterprise’ theme. In particular, the Forum considered ways in which Northern Ireland’s industrial incentives package could be refocused to promote and encourage a more enterprising, innovative and competitive economy.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Minister of State, Adam Ingram, said:

"We want Northern Ireland’s economy to be characterised by entrepreneurial, innovative, and self-reliant companies which offer high quality jobs and which have a confident, ambitious, 'can do' culture.

"We also want to encourage the development and growth of such companies through an industrial incentives package that matches this desire.

"The Economic Development Forum is providing valuable advice on how our current incentives package might be rebalanced to achieve this match. This will help companies to improve their capability in key business competencies such as research and development, innovation, marketing and skills development."

After the meeting Forum members had the opportunity to meet with board members of Enterprise Newry and to hear of the work in Newry to promote local enterprise.

 

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

The membership of the Economic Development Forum is as follows:

Chairman	Mr Adam Ingram
Deputy Chairman	Gerry Loughran
ORGANISATION	NOMINEE/S
IOD	Eamon McElroy
CBI	Chris Gibson
NICCI	Stephen Kingon
NIGC	Dr Patrick Haren
Derry Chamber of Commerce	John McDaid
NIC/ICTU	Frank Bunting
	Patricia McKeown
	Jim McCusker
	Mick O'Reilly
NICVA	Seamus McAleavey
	Jacqueline Irwin
UFU	Will Taylor
NIAPA	Miceal McCoy
SOLACE	Michael McGuckin (Cookstown DC)
DETI	Dr Alan Gillespie
DRD	Paul Sweeney
DHFETE	Ian Walters