Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I really welcome this opportunity to hear from Ms O'Donoghue and Mr. Duffy. There is a lot of expectations around the shared island unit, which is a really important development. It is very important that we as a committee work together very closely with it so that we are not re-inventing the wheel and we add to each other's work rather than doing the same thing.

Has the unit set out how it will formally engage with political parties and with the Oireachtas to give us an idea of what we can expect there?

Can the officials speak to the brief the unit gave to the ESRI and to NESC to give us an idea of its shape? Will we end up with research papers on the all-island economy and health service and an all-island approach to education? I look forward to that in my own brief in higher education. There is really good potential there. How will the unit interface with, say, the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science here?

I will give the officials time to answer as I am interested in what they have to say.