Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief so my colleague can also contribute. We cannot talk about a shared island without inevitably talking about Brexit. As I was listening to everyone, I thought about how the conversation on Brexit descended into really deep division and a very contentious issue. One can see how that is now playing out. I am certainly not saying this is a precursor to a referendum that may happen on this island, but having that vision, working towards a shared vision of the island and creating an underpinning of hope are very important when we see how deeply divisive and corrosive the Brexit debate became. I commend having that space of hope, which is so important.

I wish to take a moment to reflect on the student movement. What is particularly interesting about it is that the vast majority of the current students will have been born after the Good Friday Agreement. There is a collective body of young people who have an experience of living on this island which is in a completely different time and space. I draw attention to the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland, NUS-USI, a cross-Border link between the UK and the Republic of Ireland that is promoting student unity. That has been going since 1972 with the trilateral meetings which happen three times a year. I used to attend them. The NUS-USI did some research in January 2019 and a big issue that came up for students, the vast majority of whom had been born after the Good Friday Agreement, was a real fear about a lack of cohesion and a threat to safety on the island. The research was conducted by European Movement Ireland, NUS and USI. Students across the island have this fear, which is quite striking given the age profile. I wish to flag that.

In addition, education is a key issue. Members of the student movement felt that education was not high on the list of priorities during the Brexit negotiations and they are fearful about what is going to happen to the education sector in Northern Ireland and across the island.

Education attainment is a great leveller. There is a real fear for the future of education, so I thought I would flag that that space be perhaps explored and articulated through either the student movement or its representatives.