Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to examine the implementation of the New Decade, New Approach agreement. This agreement was published in January 2020 in an effort to re-establish the Stormont Executive and to initiate a series of badly needed reforms to public administration in the North for the benefit of all its citizens. By and large, the comments and contributions by Deputies today have been cordial and positive and that is welcome.

It should be noted that there are still outstanding commitments from the Stormont House Agreement and the Fresh Start Agreement. It is critical that the New Decade, New Approach agreement does not become like other half-implemented agreements. One significant aspect of this agreement is the increased funding that is promised. Big commitments were made last year and I understand just £1 billion of new money was delivered by the UK Government to it. I call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to keep up the pressure on his counterpart in London to deliver on those commitments.

I welcome the establishment of the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach. The unit was allocated a €500 million budget for five years. This innovative shared island fund will ensure the Irish Government meets its commitments to the citizens of the North and of the wider Border region. As we enter the post-Brexit era, the shared island fund will see investment in the region in all-island initiatives such as research, health, education and the environment. This will enhance the all-island economy, society and improve North-South co-operation. I await further progress in areas such as infrastructure, energy and innovation. It should be noted the shared island fund goes beyond already agreed funding for the North-South bodies, such as: the reconciliation fund, cross-Border health arrangements, and the EU support for the region via the EU PEACE PLUS programme. Taken together, the commitment by the Government amounts to over €1 billion of funding out to 2025.

The Taoiseach’s vision in this regard and his commitment to improving North-South relations need to be commended. The shared island fund is central to harnessing the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement, to deliver sustainable progress for all communities and ultimately to lay the groundwork for a more united island.

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