The Northern Secretary has called for new levels of North-South co-operation aimed at enhancing employment and economic development throughout Ireland.
Peter Hain made the call in a keynote speech at Stormont yesterday to the Fabian Society.
He told the left-wing political society that increased economic co-operation would help both parts of Ireland to face the challenges of globalisation. It would also enable the North to learn from the Republic's economic success and help address the skills and capacity shortages hindering growth in the South.
"The Republic's enormous success has led to some of its companies being prevented from expanding because of a lack of additional capacity and skills shortages," he said.
"They should be encouraged to outsource in the North."
In a key section of his address he suggested: "Both governments should have a joined-up strategy to attract inward investment, especially maximising the South's strong relationship with Irish-American business to showcase opportunities in the North."
Mr Hain also proposed what he called "a joint audit of opportunities for further economic co-operation to mutual advantage on both sides of the Border".
Citing the case of the Republic's €7.5 million investment in City of Derry airport to benefit Co Donegal, he called for more "good commonsense co-operation on matters of mutual interest across both jurisdictions".
The speech also signalled a thorough review of public spending in Northern Ireland, especially in relation to education and health. Mr Hain ordered a sweeping, independent review of education provision along the lines of that which recently reported on health spending.
He vowed to maintain the ethos of state, Catholic, integrated and Irish-language education. But he warned that duplication of provision and the existence of 50,000 surplus school places would have to be addressed. Falling school registers will mean 80,000 empty school desks by 2015.
"The current level of provision is simply not sustainable," he warned. "There will be a root-and-branch review of education spending to ensure that the government's massive year-on-year increases are delivering the outcomes we need."
Signalling a clear break from the past, he added: "It is time to get our education debate away from segregation and statistics and on to skills, to ensure that everyone has the skills to match the jobs that our future economy needs." He called for "an entire reorientation of the education around the critical age of 14".
It was imperative, he said, that the Northern Ireland economy be "rebalanced" away from its heavy dependence on the public sector towards further development of private enterprise.
He also called for further streamlining of the public service and rededicated his government's push for a reduction in the number of local councils, health boards and education and library boards.