Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. To what extent can he use this shared island facility to establish a greater level of confidence between the communities in Northern Ireland and between the North and the South? This is an important issue now, namely, the building of confidence to progress the rest of the objectives of the programme.

Is the Taoiseach satisfied with the progress made to date? Does he propose to take further initiatives to identify more ways and means of advancing the causes set out in the programme? Is it intended to expand the debate in this context beyond the shared island initiative structures? I refer to the addition of a citizens' assembly debate, for example, or something like that, to promote the positive elements of the structure.

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