BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
The government in the Republic of Ireland is to be invited to link up with Fermanagh in an effort to provide an enhanced Broadband service.
This, and other cross-border ideas arose from a meeting organised by Fermanagh South Tyrone Independent Assembly member Gerry McHugh.
It was attended by Arlene Foster, the Minister for the Department Trade and Investment, and by Peter Quinn, who heads a locally based consultancy firm and is Chairman of Fermanagh Enterprises Development Organisation.
Sitting alongside Mr McHugh were fellow Assembly members, Tommy Gallagher and Dr Alasdair McDonnell, and representatives from Invest Northern Ireland.
The agenda that Mr McHugh had drawn up for the hour-long meeting had two issues, one of which was the on-going dispute between the Quinn Group and NIE over the refund of the cost incurred by the Group in installing a high-voltage supply, and jobs' promotion and inward investment.
The meeting was in private but, afterwards, Mr McHugh told the 'Herald' he believed that progress had been made.
"It is about trying to do things cross-community. We're trying to bring forward an initiative between Fermanagh and the organisations at the top, this new generation Broadband, which is critical to companies such as the Quinn Group.
"This is a cross-border EU initiative where we need a certain amount of cooperation from the southern government about its installation and where it goes. It has tremendous possibilities."
The meeting also considered the production, again on a cross-border basis, of health/specialist foods, for instance for people with diabetes.
Mr McHugh said that the meeting also explored fresh possibilities within tourism.
"We were talking about sustainable jobs in the long term, and one of the things that came up was 'wet day' facilities, which generally speaking, we haven't got. For instance, bowling. Money can be got for all of these things to drive and go forward with it.
"I have a keen interest to see all of that going forward, particularly in Enniskillen. We do get a tremendous amount of visitors from the South into this town, so we should make use of every opportunity that we get in terms of tourism."
