Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Taoiseach if he will outline the vision for the Shared Island Dialogue following the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland. [22990/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Shared Island Dialogue series is a key part of the Government’s approach to engaging with all communities and political traditions on the island, to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.

In our approach, the Government is taking full account of the political complexity and challenges in Northern Ireland, and is working to listen to and engage with all communities and their concerns. We are working to foster civic dialogue that is constructive, inclusive and focused on issues of shared concern for people, across all traditions and communities, while also recognising challenges and different views.

We are seeking as broad a range of experience as possible, and ensuring the inclusion of under-represented voices, particularly of women, young people and ethnic minority communities on the island.

The Shared Island Dialogue series will continue through this year. Dialogues are now being convened on an in-person and regional basis, focussing both on sectoral issues and wider societal concerns for the whole island.

The next Dialogue will be convened by Minister Heather Humphreys on the theme ‘enabling rural and community development on a shared island’, on 20 May in Monaghan.

The Shared Island initiative is also leading to valuable civil society-led projects, including the All-Island Women’s Forum, and an ‘i-Community Shared Practice hub’ project being rolled out by The Wheel and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action.