Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My best wishes to the Acting Chair, Senator Flynn, not just in the role this morning, which is significant, but I hope for her and her community that it will become routine and part of the normal fabric of our society. This is very important. I thank the Acting Chair for all the work she is doing.

I thank Senator McGreehan for taking a patriotic approach to the island rather than an ultra-nationalistic approach of division. Senator McGreehan has taken a unifying approach on the issue of this island, and this is especially relevant given where she comes from on the Border. I thank her for raising the important role of schools and education. The Taoiseach has asked me to respond to the points that she has raised.

The shared island initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance co-operation, connection and mutual understanding on the island, engaging with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future. The Taoiseach established the shared island unit in his Department to act as a driver and co-ordinator of this whole-of-government approach. In the budget, the Government established a shared island fund, committing €500 million in capital funding out to 2025, ring-fenced for investment in North-South projects. The Taoiseach has already announced substantial investments in long-standing all-Ireland projects that, quite frankly, were hanging around for too long, including the Ulster Canal and Narrow Water bridge. I thank Senator McGreehan for her work in pursuing the Narrow Water bridge project. It will be not just nationally important infrastructure but also a crucial piece of local infrastructure on the Cooley Peninsula and in south County Down. As mentioned, research collaboration on the island is also a priority for the fund. The Government is working with the Northern Ireland Executive, the British Government and other partners to deliver cross-Border capital investments that meet our objectives to enhance our shared island.

The programme for Government also includes a shared island commitment to expand the North-South school exchange programme. This affirms the Government's commitment under the New Decade, New Approach agreement to build on the success of the first pilot programme of bringing young people together from schools, North and South, with a target of achieving 100 cross-Border engagements per annum within a five-year period. This objective is being taken into account as part of the development of the EU PEACE PLUS programme from 2022 onwards, under the theme of empowering and investing in young people. The PEACE PLUS programme is unique because it is funding by the EU, the Irish Government and the British Government. With all the talk of division and a lack of a joint approach, the PEACE PLUS programme is a practical example of everybody working together and it is very important.

A second pilot North-South school exchange programme has received support under the reconciliation fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs. This programme and funding commitment by the Government makes an important contribution to the objective the Senator has raised, of bringing young people in schools throughout the island together, as they look to the future.

In launching the shared island initiative last October, the Taoiseach initiated the shared island dialogue, to which Senator McGreehan referred, to foster inclusive civic dialogue on key issues for our shared future. He highlighted the vital role that young people have to play in shaping the future of this island. The Taoiseach also addressed the first shared island dialogue with young people in November on the theme of new generations and new voices on the Good Friday Agreement. The participation and contribution of younger generations has been actively sought in the series of shared island dialogues that have been held so far this year. This will continue to be a priority in the Government's approach to fostering inclusive civic dialogue as part of the shared island initiative.