THE Northern Ireland economy minister, Baroness Denton, has called on the Government to stop turning back at the Border poultry, lamb and pork products produced in the North.
Addressing her remarks to the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Mr Kenny, at a conference in Dublin yesterday, she said the confusion in relation to the export of meats from Northern Ireland to the Republic was costing food producers heavily.
The baroness claims some companies have complained Customs officials at the Border have been refusing to allow lorry loads of these meat products into the Republic following the EU ban on British beef.
Having already lost one of its biggest exports due to concerns about BSE, the baroness said the latest "super cautious" approach to the North's meat products, was unacceptable.
"It appears to be not driven by intention but it is more a case of people being super cautious," she told Mr Kenny, who assured her that he would look into the matter.
Speaking at the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (IBEC) conference, the Northern Ireland minister told delegates there is still considerable potential for further growth in cross Border trade.
Both economies need to work together, she said, to achieve economies of scale and to eliminate unnecessary duplication.
"We must look for, and exploit, every opportunity to capitalise on our collective impact in winning business competitively in overseas markets, not just here in Ireland, but from more than 100 million other European Union households."
The challenge now, according to the North's minister, is to turn these opportunities into profitable sales which generate income and jobs for the whole of Ireland.
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