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

I join with Deputies in expressing my deepest sympathies to the wife and family of Christopher Stalford who passed away at the weekend. On the Government's behalf, I conveyed our sympathies personally to Jeffrey Donaldson and the wish that they be conveyed to his family. All of us in public life know that politicians experience enormous pressures. Words will not console his family on this occasion, but our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Regarding the third strategy on domestic violence, there has already been shared dialogue involving women on the island. That led to the creation of an all-island women's forum. The shared island unit stands ready. We have said to various groups that if there are cross-Border projects that can be developed, we will allocate funding to those, provided they meet their basic objectives and thresholds. I would like to think that the all-island women's forum will be in a position to develop important initiatives in this area of domestic violence on a cross-Border, all-island basis. We and the unit are available to support that.

Deputy Richmond raised the continuation of the dialogue series. He referred to increasing the ambition and in-person events. No one has put blockages up in the political sphere. To address Deputy Ó Murchú's point, too, the whole shared island endeavour is without prejudice to one's constitutional position. That is why it has gained cross-community, cross-tradition participation in civic society. That has been quite significant. We have significant ambition. There are now opportunities for in-person engagement. There is a dialogue on sport tomorrow. There will be an online launch event in early March for the next ESRI shared island report, which examines primary healthcare systems on the island. We are also planning for an in-person launch event for the comprehensive report to Government by the National Economic and Social Council on shared island opportunities, following its consideration by Government. The shared island unit of my Department is also preparing further events as part of the shared island dialogue series, which will run throughout the year.

As everyone said, there is a welcome opportunity for greater in-person engagement in the dialogue series. We envisage that happening regionally too. The dialogue series issue is engaging with sectoral issues and how we deepen mutually beneficial co-operation on the island. There were two examples, with tourism and sport being addressed tomorrow. Wider societal concerns for the future of the island include culture and identity issues, and how we can better understand each other across diverse communities and traditions. In response to very welcome interest, members of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the relevant committee chairs and party spokespersons in both the Oireachtas and Northern Ireland Assembly are being invited to shared island dialogue events this year. I think that might deal with what Deputy Durkan said about the politics of it. I had this debate with Deputy Ó Murchú in respect of citizens' assemblies. It is my view that the dialogue series is the important way to go. The Good Friday Agreement has provisions regarding the constitutional position.

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