A politician in the Republic is calling on the US government to promote the potential of the border region as a location for new industry.

Fine Gael's spokesperson on North-South cooperation, Joe McHugh TD, has written to Hillary Clinton's Northern Ireland envoy Declan Kelly requesting that next month's Washington conference on the Northern Ireland economy focuses on the topic of promoting the region.

"The Fine Gael party has asked Ms Clinton's envoy to ensure that the October 19 Washington conference will highlight the potential of the border region as a location for new industry," he said.

"The border was once a barrier to trade, now it is a mutually useful gateway for businesses in each jurisdiction," said the opposition politician.