Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The programme for Government reaffirmed its commitment to the shared island fund and committed to increasing the resources available to the fund by a further €1 billion up to 2035. The shared island initiative is co-ordinated by a dedicated unit within the Department of the Taoiseach, with a focus on fostering co-operation and collaboration across the island of Ireland, aiming to build a more connected, sustainable and prosperous future. The initiative involves working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government and is supported by significant investment from the fund.

Funding from the shared island fund is allocated by the Government to Departments and agencies to support the delivery of projects that implement programme for Government priorities on our shared island. These projects are developed and taken forward in co-operation with counterparts in Northern Ireland and focus on practical cross-Border collaboration in a range of areas, including key infrastructure projects, climate action, tourism, culture and research. In some cases, Departments operate programmes that offer grant and funding opportunities that are open to applications as part of the shared island initiative.

In addition to the shared island fund, as the Deputy said, the PEACEPLUS programme has a total value of €1. I billion to fund projects across Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland until 2029. PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Commission, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. PEACEPLUS is funding regional development projects across a diverse range of investment areas, including skills, education, transport, and socioeconomic regeneration. Investments include €165 million to support replacing the train fleet for the Enterprise service and €32 million for a cross-Border water quality improvement programme.

In my discussions at the European Council of Ministers, this plays an absolutely essential role for many Border counties and is central to our broader discussions in the context of EU funding to complement the work of the shared island fund.

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