Towards Better Government Policy and Action in North/South Waste Management

A workshop facilitated by the Centre for Cross Border Studies for the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN)

1 June 2005

Centre for Cross Border Studies, Armagh

Background

In 2004 the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN), in conjunction with local councils across Northern Ireland and the Southern Border Counties, commissioned a study into waste management in a cross-border context. This study, which was carried out by Kirk McClure and Morton and RPS MC O’Sullivan and presented in February 2005, is primarily focused on regional, council-based waste management strategies. However some of the key findings also require a central government response or suggest useful opportunities for joined-up government.

Objectives

The workshop was facilitated by ICBAN in partnership with the Centre for Cross Border Studies. Its purpose and the format was agreed with the Environment and Heritage Service, Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland, and the Department of the Environment and Local Government in the Republic of Ireland. The objectives were:

• To construct potential joined-up governmental responses on an all-island basis
• To agree specific market and business opportunities and to develop an appropriate action plan
• To construct an all-island approach – a vision for the future – and propose some practical steps towards implementing that vision

Format

Following an introduction by Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body, Dr. Brian Gregory (Director, Kirk McClure and Morton) set out the key findings of the study. This was followed by a response from Donal Buckley (IBEC/CBI). The core of the workshop was developed by working groups who addressed the key issues identified in the study and the policy development opportunities and actions. The workshop were chaired by Pat Colgan, who brought a wealth of experience of cross-border development in both Ireland and mainland Europe.

Participants

The workshop was specifically intended for policy makers with input from waste management experts and was attended by representatives from the following organisations:

• Department of the Environment and Local Government (RoI) and Environment and Heritage Service, Department of the Environment (NI)
• InterTradeIreland
• Enterprise Ireland
• Invest NI
• IBEC (Irish Business and Employers Confederation)
• CBI (Confederation of British Industry NI)
• EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency)

See the Waste Management Study [4mb].