Deputy First Minister and Borderwise Attend Web Site Launch

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness spoke today at the public launch in Derry of a new web based cross border information portal. Borderpeople.info seeks to provide an online resource for the people of the island of Ireland who commute across the border to work, live and study. The site is the result of a project undertaken by the Centre for Cross Border Studies on behalf on the North South Ministerial Council and funded in part by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Citizens Advice has a major role in providing original content, case studies and frequently asked questions for the site through its Borderwise Project, a joint initiative with the Citizens Information Board based in Dublin.

The Deputy First Minister stressed the importance of filling the information gap in an area that effects more than 20,000 people on a daily basis and recognised the contribution that Citizens Advice is making towards improving the lives of many of these people in the border region.

Also speaking at the Derry City Hotel was Pat Colgan from the SEUPB, who remarked that 14,000,000 car journeys are made each year between the two parts of Ireland. This is a very real issue for people living in both jurisdictions.

The demand for high quality and relevant information continues to grow and Citizens Advice is committed to meeting this need.