Cross-Border Measurement

Challenges & Developments

Steve MacFeelyDirector of Business StatisticsCentral Statistics Office

Border People User Group

Issues

“To provide a sound evidence base on which to make future policy and investment decisions for both jurisdictions, there is need for a number of improvements to the assembly and publication of statistical data both in Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland”

Border People User Group

TransportFreight (road, air, rail, sea)Passenger (car, bus, air, rail)Commuting

TourismOvernight Day VisitsShopping

Challenges

Border People User Group

Different institutional & legal systems

Different resource constraints

Different national priorities

Different development paths

Developments

Border People User Group

Increasing cooperation between agencies – NITB, DETI, NISRA

Tourism Statistics Liaison Group

North-South Ministerial CouncilHarmonise definitionsDevelop joint projects (TSA, day visits etc.)

TransportToll roadsRoad camerasSafeseas

Northbound shopping study

Traveller Flows

Border People User Group

Cross - Border Visits (000's)

Traveller Flows

Border People User Group

Northbound Visits by Purpose (000's)

Traveller Flows

Border People User Group

Northbound Expenditure by Purpose (€ millions)

Cross-Border Shopping “While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from the media and trade groups,

there is little quantifiable data available to analyse the true extent of the issue”

Border People User Group

Estimated Value of Cross-Border Shopping – Northbound (€ millions)

Main Contributors

• Price differentials• Tax rates• Profit margins• Exchange rate

Cross-Border Shopping - Developments

Module on Cross-Border Shopping – QNHS Q2 2009

Variables:Number of Trips to NIFrequencyDurationMode of transportPurposeExpenditure (accommodation/meals/petrol/entertainment)

if shopping, expenditure (cars, alcohol, cosmetics, groceries, durables, other)

Border People User Group

Traffic Flows

Border People User Group

M01 – [6 (Dundalk BP South)] 2008 – Vehicle flows

Traffic Flows

Border People User Group

M01 – [6 (Dundalk BP South)] 2008 – Daily Profiles

North and South - A Statistical Profile

2008 - 139 tables2003 - 111 tables 2002 - 66 tables2000 - 66 tables

Border People User Group

Conclusions & future steps

Border People User Group

Cross – Border activity very difficult to measure

Progress being made – slowly

Cooperation between agencies North and South essential

New data sources emerging – credit cards, road cameras etc.

ICP North and South would be interesting

References:

Border People User Group

CSO & NISRA (2008, 2003, 2002, 2000) North and South – A Statistical Profile (www.cso.ie)

CSO (2000 – 2008) Household Travel Survey (www.cso.ie)

InterTrade Ireland/IBEC/CBI (2007), Freight Transport Report for the Island of Ireland, Dublin.

Revenue Commissioners (2009), The Implications of Cross Border Shopping for the Irish Exchequer – A report prepared by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the Central Statistics Office (www.finance.gov.ie)