Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will take the first few minutes and Deputy Brendan Smith will follow me. Ms O'Donoghue and Mr. Duffy are very welcome this morning. Ms O'Dongohue has given us a very good outline of the work being done by the shared island unit. I very much appreciate the work that is going on. As a young councillor in 2000, I started a campaign with my council colleagues in Donegal on the A5. It is one of a number of projects west of the Bann that have been neglected for decades. However, the work being done by the shared island unit is resulting in the breaking down of barriers when it comes to an inter-agency approach, North and South. We have been calling for this for years and it is now happening. It galls me to read some of the media reports on this, which do not acknowledge what is really happening here. The work that is being done on the ground by the shared island unit is transformative for this island. It is time people realised that and started reporting it as it is.

I am familiar with a lot of what Ms O'Donoghue outlined but would like to delve further into the unit's work with the ESRI and the NESC on research. Many people are knocking the work of the unit because they believe it is futile. I am sure there has been much chat between the unit and others in the Taoiseach's office about this. What is it really about? Why is the unit considering doing all of this research? What is the point of it? What is the point of the research and the dialogue? Some people are calling for a citizen's assembly. What is the view of the unit on that issue? Is now the right time for a citizen's assembly? Some people believe a citizen's assembly would solve all of our problems and would get us to the point where we can all share this island peacefully. What is the unit's view?

I hope that many in the media are listening this morning and that we get a broader approach and view of what is actually happening in the shared island unit. Ms O'Donoghue spoke about dealing with 130 different groups across the island. There is transformative work and the more dialogue and discussions we have like this, the better understanding people, including ourselves, will have of the work the unit is doing. I wish it well.