Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Deputies for their questions. The first question from Deputy Brendan Smith was on the central Border area and the need for the shared island fund to focus on that area. The Deputy has spoken to me about the geopark and I have asked my officials to investigate that and to engage with him. We are open to projects in the area of climate change and biodiversity and this project would add value to the dialogue series we have already had on those issues. It is in the arena of initiatives that have been undertaken by the unit, working with local interests in Cavan and Fermanagh and across that central Border area that the Deputy so consistently raises.

Deputy Richmond raised the economic recovery dialogue and the protocol. We have identified a potential partnership between Derry and Letterkenny in respect of city deals and enterprise parks on both sides of the Border that would be joined and that would have a common governance oversight which could create jobs and facilitate economic development in that area. The North West Strategic Growth Partnership is strong and it acts irrespective of politics across all divides and I met the group. Both county councils are on it and they are focused on an economic agenda in the north west. We are anxious to support them in any way we possibly can and one of those areas is the common enterprise park in that locality.

I refer to the protocol, and Deputy Alan Farrell also raised the lack of participation between the North and the South. The shared island unit is without prejudice to people's constitutional positions and, therefore, it has received a broad welcome. Some parties are cautious in their engagement but there is no such caution in civil society and those in business and industry are also engaging.

On industrial relations, the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, had a plenary meeting on 5 July. That is the forum for Government to engage with representatives from employers and trade unions. It has developed a work stream to look at shared island issues, labour market dynamics and deepening understanding of all-island labour market issues. These issues include: opportunities and impediments for firms; issues facing frontier workers such as remote work and related issues; further and higher education; training and skills; and so on. There is a healthy workers' agenda in place there.

On Deputy Durkan's point, I see huge potential. I met representatives of Queen's University Belfast last Friday week, which was interesting. It has an all-island tissue bank as well as the all-island cancer consortium and a whole range of research that has an all-island relevance. That means the more than €40 million funding we have allocated has an all-island benefit. It will knit together academics and researchers on the entire island, irrespective of geography, with a common pursuit to develop science for the benefit of all.

In terms of domestic and gender-based violence, which Deputy Carthy referenced, we have had some outcomes through the dialogue series. One of the existing projects that has emerged from the dialogue on women is the newly established all-island women's forum. That is bringing together women leaders from across the island to address under-representation and further develop women's role in peace building and civic society. I would like to think that there is an opportunity in this to look at the domestic and gender-based violence issue as well and come forward with proposals around it.

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