Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

9. To ask the Taoiseach the extent to which developments have taken place on the shared island initiative. [60887/22]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

10. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the latest work of his Department’s shared island unit. [60889/22]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

11. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of his Department’s shared island unit. [60891/22]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

12. To ask the Taoiseach the extent to which Irish authorities continue to support moves to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly, with particular reference to any funding initiatives through the shared island approach. [62057/22]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

13. To ask the Taoiseach the degree to which he expects the shared island approach to influence the evolution of North-South and east-west relations in the future. [62058/22]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

14. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the shared island unit of his Department. [61815/22]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

15. To ask the Taoiseach to report on the work and status of the shared island unit. [3342/23]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 15, inclusive, together.

As provided for in the programme for Government, we are continuing our shared island initiative to deliver benefits for the whole island and work with all communities for a shared future, as underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. This involves unprecedented co-operative all-island investment, through our €1 billion shared island fund, hearing from all communities on how we can practically better share this island into the future and providing a stronger evidence base and analysis of the whole island through a programme of published research.

The initiative is being taken forward by Ministers and their Departments on a whole-of-government basis, driven and co-ordinated through the shared island unit, which remains in the Department of the Taoiseach. Over the past two years, the Government has allocated €191 million from the shared island fund to move ahead with long-standing commitments such as the Ulster Canal and the Narrow Water bridge projects and to deliver new all-island investments. These projects respond to common interests and concerns for people right across the island, including climate action, biodiversity, regional development, innovation and deepening our societal connections.

Thus far this year, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin, commenced a new €3 million shared island civic society funding scheme. Last week, on 19 January, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, announced a call for a new €15 million electric vehicle, EV, charging scheme. This will develop a network of publicly accessible, community-focused, EV charging points at sports clubs across the island of Ireland. The Government will seek to undertake significantly more all-island investment co-operation with a new Northern Ireland Executive and with the British Government.

The continuing absence of the Executive and the inability of the North-South Ministerial Council to meet adversely affect what is possible and there is an urgent need to get all of the political institutions of the agreement operating again, including the North-South bodies. I held constructive discussions with the leaders of the five main political parties in Belfast on 12 January and the Government will continue to work with the British Government and with the leaders of the parties in Northern Ireland, to do all we can to have the institutions back up and running as soon as possible.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his extensive reply. At this stage, I feel the important thing to concentrate on is the stalled negotiations, which appear to have been stalled for a considerable time. I know that is not the fault of anybody on either side. It is just a circumstance that arose as a result of circumstances outside of the control of this jurisdiction and others. The important thing now, I believe, is that a special effort be made to co-ordinate all thinking within the UK, Northern Ireland and Europe to bring together in a concentrated way the minds of those who are involved, with a view to sharing what we have and what we can share. Community development and support for communities is a huge area that can be moved forward at any time while we are awaiting the return of the Assembly. The most important point is it will also help to speed up the recognition of the Assembly. The last point I want to make is that when negotiations stall, those stalls are usually filled by alternatives.

The alternatives that come to mind, in this case, are not necessarily good. I strongly support the line being taken by the Government and ask that, as a matter of urgency, there be an accelerated programme of engagement with society in Northern Ireland in a helpful way, not to overwhelm or overcome the community but simply to encourage them into our way of thinking.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Much of the shared island unit has been positive, including some of the programmes the Taoiseach mentioned, such as charging schemes and so on. A significant degree of modelling and comparative research has been carried out North and South, although some of that modelling should be expanded into modelling 32-county systems because that is necessary preparatory work that needs to be done. Obviously, that is something that all of us in my part of the world would like to see delivered on and there are considerable gains to be made.

I agree with Deputy Durkan that it is vital we get negotiations going and get an Executive up and running and, as the Taoiseach said, that the necessary North-South Ministerial Council meetings be held along with those of all the necessary institutions that relate to the Good Friday Agreement. Beyond that, I think the Taoiseach accepts there is a changed dialogue on this island in regard to Irish unity. The shared island dialogue has not gone to the places it should go in the sense of accepting that this conversation is happening among the general public North and South and among many people who would never have considered Irish unity previously. My party has been straightforward regarding our call whereby we believe that one of the preparatory steps that needs to be taken relates to a citizens' assembly, but I am not especially caught up on what it will be called or will look like as long as it can deliver some facility whereby the people of Ireland, North and South, can have conversations about what the possibilities are for a future 32-county state of which we can all be part. I reiterate Ireland both North and South has changed very much, so it will look very different from what any of us would have considered to be Irish unity 20 or 30 years ago.

The Taoiseach is in the driving seat. He has an ability to bring the shared island unit to a place where it should be. What are his plans in that regard?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

One of the features of our shared island is the demoralisation of nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers both North and South. Tomorrow, there will be further strike action by nurses in the North over a pay cut, in real terms, that they are suffering, where there is extreme demoralisation among nurses and a severe crisis in being able to recruit and retain them because of massive understaffing and so on in hospitals in the North and elsewhere throughout the UK.

Does that not sound familiar? Simultaneously, down here, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, has suggested industrial action may be necessary because of the catastrophe nurses are facing in the South. I invite the Taoiseach to indicate his support for nurses in the North, who are going on strike to get decent pay, and to recognise the desperate pleas of nurses in our own hospitals, down South, regarding the absolute crisis and demoralisation they face because of chronic under-resourcing, understaffing, a lack of beds and, added to that, the impossibility of finding affordable accommodation for many nurses because of the Government's failure to address the housing crisis.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To follow on from my party colleague, Deputy Ó Murchú, there is an opportunity here and we hope the Taoiseach, having returned to the office, will grasp it with the shared island unit. We call on the Government to consider a citizens' assembly on Irish unity because we believe we need to plan for this. We are not looking to push any community to where they do not want to go. The Taoiseach last week made some very conciliatory comments when he reached out to the unionist community, and that is what we want to do as well. We want to reach out to them and engage with them because we have a vision and, obviously, they have their vision. Our vision is for a united Ireland, and we feel that by having the conversation, we will not push people but engage with them in a positive way to put down their thoughts and feelings along with ours. We need the Executive up and running. I canvassed in the North last year for the Northern Ireland Assembly election. It was an unbelievable election, and I saw Michelle O'Neill emerge as the leader of the Assembly, a position that has not been confirmed but which she obtained because of her fabulous election performance. We believe that with the Taoiseach's support and that of the other parties in the North, we can get the Assembly up and running. It is really important. As Deputy Boyd Barrett said, things that need to happen in the North are being held up because the Executive is not operating, and we have to work on that.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. To respond to Deputy Durkan, I absolutely agree there are things we can do to move things forward absent an Assembly and Executive, and the shared island fund is part of that. It is one of the few positive things that is happening North-South at the moment. It is making a difference in Northern Ireland and has been a very successful initiative by the Government, particularly led by the Tánaiste and former Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin. Another thing we are working on is PEACE PLUS, an EU-UK fund of about €1 billion to invest in Northern Ireland and enhance North-South co-operation. We hope to be able to come to an agreement on that in the first half of this year.

While I am talking about North-South matters, I restate the Government's support for the A5 project, the new road to be built between Aughnacloy and New Buildings, helping to connect Derry and Letterkenny as well to the rest of the State. It is a very dangerous road. A campaign was relaunched in Northern Ireland only in the past week of which the GAA and other bodies are a part and on which they are showing real leadership. We are keen to see that project through planning. We want to contribute to the cost of it and we are going to make sure we prepare for the tie-ins on our side of the Border, such as the project from Clontibret to the Border.

Turning to Deputy Ó Murchú’s questions, in fairness, a lot of the shared island research programme looks at the differences between North and South, such as how health services and primary care services are structured in Northern Ireland as compared with the Republic of Ireland. A lot of that kind of detail, painstaking work and analysis was never done previously. It is being done for the first time and it is important that it continue.

I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett on one issue. I do not underestimate for a second the enormous pressure our healthcare staff are under, and he will know my family background in that regard. Healthcare staff, nurses among them but also doctors, ambulance staff and others, have had an exhausting three years. There has been the exhaustion and stress of the pandemic, and now that we are in at least a post-restrictions period, there is a huge snapback in demand for healthcare. They have had no respite or break. A lot of people are burned out. That is not at all unique to this jurisdiction, as he said, or to this island; it is a feature of health services across the world.

We are acting on it. We have a pay deal in place with our healthcare workers. We have a new consultant contract on offer, which I think is a very good one and a very generous one financially. Crucially, it begins to end private practice in public hospitals, something the Deputy agrees with. We are increasing the number of beds, with almost 1,000 additional beds in our acute hospitals in the past three years, and we are recruiting, with more than 6,000 more doctors and nurses working in our public hospitals than was the case three years ago, notwithstanding the challenges with recruitment.

In respect of a citizens’ assembly on unification or Irish unity, as Deputies described it, I have an open mind on that but I am not convinced it is the right approach. I have seen citizens' assemblies work well in this jurisdiction, and while I was initially a sceptic of them, I have become a fan, and I think they have allowed us to bring forward reforms we not have brought forward so fast had it not been for the fact the citizens' assemblies showed us that when the public hear the arguments, they are often ahead of politicians. Doing it on this issue, however, would require a lot of thought and sensitivity. One simple question is whether it would involve 50 people from the Republic and 50 from Northern Ireland or whether it would be done on the basis there would be a 5:2 split. I do not know. Any citizens' assembly that did not have the active and meaningful participation of people from the Protestant, unionist and loyalist backgrounds would not be worth having. It would not be worth a penny candle, quite frankly, if people from those backgrounds were not willing to participate. If 16, 17 or 20 of them agreed to do so, would they face intimidation, potentially, for being involved in an assembly of that nature? They might. As we know, citizens' assemblies have a lot of votes. Would the rules allow them to be outvoted or would they have a veto? Until we have satisfactory answers to those kind of practical questions, I do not think it is an idea we could proceed with.