Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 31, inclusive, together.

Our programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for building our shared island. Yesterday, the Government made a major funding commitment of over €50 million through our shared island fund to ten new programmes.

We are investing for the future to improve people’s lives and strengthen connections across the island of Ireland . We are moving forward with €14 million for a major new shared island media initiative by Coimisiún na Meán, delivering on our programme for Government commitment to resource schemes to encourage cross-Border journalism on an ongoing basis;

A sum of €5.9 million is being allocated to the fire and emergency services from North and South to deepen their co-operation to enhance capacity and training on management of flooding events

and on search and rescue operations. There will be €6 million for the new shared home place programme, which will foster a sustained, broad engagement with all communities on this island and with our diaspora on the island of Ireland’s diverse heritage, and how this can shape our shared future. Funding of €14.5 million is being allocated for an expanded creative lreland shared island programme and arts projects. There will be a €1.8 million contribution to the next phase of the all-Ireland pollinator plan to protect the island’s unique biodiversity.

Ministers are also working with confirmed shared island fund resourcing to establish a new air link between Derry and Dublin next year; support development of new cross-Border and Border region greenway routes; deepen our co-operation with Northern Ireland Executive counterparts on tackling bovine TB, the information service for cross-Border workers and commercialising research. The Government also yesterday, as part of the national development plan review, published our shared island investment priorities across virtually all sectors out to 2035, backed by our shared island fund and other resourcing.

The iconic Narrow Water Bridge and Ulster Canal restoration projects are forging ahead. Next year, Government resourcing will enable commencement of construction of a new teaching building at Ulster University in Derry and continue the transformative hourly frequency Dublin to Belfast rail service. In April, I launched a new phase of my Department’s joint research programme with the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, with a focus on strategic policy and co-operation considerations for the island, and research projects for 2025-26 are under way. This includes a new annual report series by the ESRI assessing economic trends across the island of Ireland, which will be published next month.

Through our shared island Initiative, the Government will continue to invest in strategic all-island co-operation and deepen our partnership with the Executive and UK Government as we work every day to build reconciliation between the different traditions of this island.

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