Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Since we are speaking about the shared island dialogue and the All-Island Women's Forum, I want to pay tribute to May Blood, from the Shankill area of Belfast, who died last week. May Blood was a committed trade unionist who fought for better conditions for the workforce, mainly women, in the linen mills. She was also a president of the Labour Party of Northern Ireland and played an invaluable grassroots role in the peace process through her work as a founding member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. One of her passions was integrated education. Her work on integrated education in Northern Ireland provides a pathway to addressing the divisions that remain. One of the recommendations of the All-Island Women's Forum was the expansion of integrated education and Educate Together models. It would therefore be a fitting tribute to May Blood to make progress on that now, particularly the recommendation on a joint North–South education scheme. Does the Government have any plans to act on this?

Given that it looks increasingly likely – ominously so – that an election will be called later this week for the Assembly, has the Taoiseach spoken yet to the new British Prime Minister and asked him to take any steps necessary to delay that prospect?

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