Published: Wednesday, 4th November, 2009 5:00pm

Bennett new chair of ICBAN

The current chairman of Cavan County Council Winston Bennett has been elected chairman of the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN) at their recent AGM, which was held in Omagh. Cllr. Bennett thanked the management board of ICBAN and in accepting his new position, acknowledged the sterling work that has been undertaken by the organisation over the past year. "I look forward to having new projects that will benefit Co. Cavan and the cross-border region, up and running on the ground in the near future."

The Fine Gael representative is no stranger to cross-border working and indeed his new partnership with vice-chairperson Cllr. Robert Turner from Armagh and District Council is one that stretches back to 1994. "We first became firm friends having joined forces on a cross-border agricultural group, linking Cavan with Armagh and together we undertook a series of good practice visits." Having lost touch four or five years ago, they renewed their friendship when Cllr. Bennett joined Cllr. Turner on the management board of ICBAN and both now look forward to a close working relationship in their new respective roles.

Outgoing chairperson, Cllr. Frankie Donnelly, Omagh District Council, in his final speech said: "Looking to the future, we in ICBAN must remember to think regional. We come to the position as locally elected representatives and while thinking and acting locally is our main interests and work, when we gather together in ICBAN we should remember that in thinking and acting regionally, we can then benefit our local council areas. ICBAN is a partnership vehicle, which can add real value to the work of our Councils."

About ICBAN

ICBAN was established in 1995 as a network of councillors from the central Ireland/Northern Ireland border area with one common aim: to respond to the unique economic and social needs of the central border region and has since been instrumental in doing so through strategic 'joined-up thinking' and practically through the disbursement of EU funds and implementation of a range of cross-border development projects.

The past year has seen ICBAN bringing the INTERREG IIIA programme to a close and also receiving confirmation that up to 17 of the projects submitted under INTERREG IVA being initially approved, valued between €15-20 million. Outside of its EU INTERREG role, the organisation undertook an extensive review of corporate governance and implemented the recommended best practice actions.

ICBAN also continued pushing its strategic development work through the Roads to Opportunity and Social Inclusion working groups and through establishing working groups on telecommunications and sustainability.

Cllr. Bennett added that ICBAN could looks forward to the development of closer working relationships with its member councils, the completion of a new corporate plan and the commencement of an exciting new spatial plan and vision exercise for the region."

ICBAN would also undertake an intense programme of lobbying governments both North and South on key cross-border developmental and infrastructure issues, concluded Cllr. Bennett.