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

The deadline for applications for the current funding round is Monday, 27 February, so the Deputy had better get the application in. Officials in my Department are happy to engage with anyone who has a query regarding the eligibility of a specific organisation or project. Further funding rounds will be scheduled and will take account of any learnings gained from the first call for applications. Full details on the shared island civic society fund, including eligibility criteria and the application process information, are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

The issue the Deputy mentioned is key. We need to share lessons relating to school completion and educational attainment in different communities, North and South. This is vital work that we have advanced through the Economic and Social Research Institute's research work on the shared island initiative. That research revealed a great deal regarding educational completion on the island of Ireland, the differences between the North and the South and how, by sharing knowledge, we can improve outcomes for young people on the island.

See this speech in context