Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Moynihan. As he knows, the Taoiseach and I are really committed to the shared island initiative. The good news is we are now seeing what was a concept now delivering very practical results on the ground with so many projects progressing. I could mention the restoration of the Ulster Canal, as one example I visited recently, or the transformative education project at the Magee College campus of the Ulster University in Derry. There are all-island research projects and so many others. We need to continue to invest in that initiative. We need to make sure the North-South Ministerial Council is now continuing to function on a very regular and frequent basis. We lost a bit of time in the scheduling due to our own general election and we are very eager to make sure we catch up on that lost time.

We really need to work together on the issue of legacy. I look forward to meeting the Northern Ireland Secretary of State this month to see if we can find a common way forward. The Irish Government's position is clear. It has to be able to bring victims, families and survivors with us and it has to be compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.

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