Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Taoiseach the status of the shared island programme since its establishment in 2020; the key initiatives taken; and his assessment of their impact to date. [61718/22]

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an overview of the Shared Island programme since its launch in 2020; the funding provided; and the initiatives supported. [62173/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 138 together.

Through the Government’s Shared Island initiative, we are engaging with all communities and political traditions to build consensus around a shared future; and delivering tangible benefits for the whole island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.

This work proceeds on a whole of Government basis, and working with Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government counterparts, and with cross-border local authority, education institution and civil society partnerships.

On 5 December, I convened the 2 Shared Island Forum with over 200 civic and political representatives participating in-person from across the island of Ireland and Britain, and proceedings were broadcast online. The event reviewed progress with the Shared Island initiative over the last two years and key objectives and concerns for the years ahead.

In delivering the keynote address, I announced over €50m in allocations by Government from the Shared Island Fund, to deliver a suite of new programmes:

- €11m for all-island biodiversity actions on peatlands restoration and biosecurity;

- €7.6m for a new all-island tourism brand collaboration and marketing initiative;

- €8m for a Shared Island dimension to the Creative Ireland programme and cultural heritage projects over 2023-2027;

- €2m funding contribution to a new Shared Island Civic Society fund;

- €12m for development of a cross-border innovation hub; and

- €10m funding contribution to a second round of the North South Research Programme.

I also confirmed a contribution of €20m from the Shared Island Fund for Co-Centres for Research and Innovation on Climate and Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems.

In total over 2020-2022, the Government has allocated over €190m from the Shared Island Fund, delivering on our investment commitments and objectives on Shared Island, as set out in the Programme for Government and revised National Development Plan.

Shared Island Fund allocations are enabling the long-standing Ulster Canal and Narrow Water Bridge projects to move forward and a range of new all-island programmes that bring people together around common objectives including on: research collaboration, community climate action; installation of EV charging infrastructure; arts investment projects; and new cross-border local authority investment proposals.

The Government will continue in the years to come to make allocations from the Shared Island Fund to take forward investment and cooperation projects that create a more connected, sustainable and prosperous island for all communities.

The continuing absence of the power-sharing Executive and inability of the North South Ministerial Council to meet impacts what is possible, and it is crucial that all political institutions of the Good Friday Agreement return to effective operation without further delay.

The Government is ready to undertake significantly more all-island investment cooperation in the time ahead, working with a new Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government.

The Shared Island unit in my Department has commissioned a comprehensive programme of published research to examine and deepen understanding of the island in economic, social, cultural and political terms. Research so far includes:

- a comprehensive report by the National Economic and Social Council with recommendations to Government on deepening beneficial co-operation across a range of economic, social and environmental areas on the island; and,

-a joint research programme by my Department with the Economic and Social Research Institute, with reports to date examining Services, Foreign Direct Investment, Productivity and Education, Primary Healthcare, and Renewable Energy systems on an island-wide basis.

Over the last two years, I and my Government colleagues have convened 14 Shared Island Dialogue events, hearing from more than 2,500 citizens and civic representatives from across all communities, traditions and regions on how in tangible ways we could better share this island. Dialogues have been held this year in person and across the island, focusing on sectoral issues - tourism; sport; and rural development - and on wider societal concerns for the island, including identity; arts and culture; and tackling gender-based violence and abuse.

The Dialogues have confirmed the broad support there is for more ambitious action and interaction right across this island and inform how the Government is developing new investment, policy and cooperation under the Shared Island initiative.

On 5 December, my Department published a report setting out how the Government has taken forward the initiative in 2022, available at www.gov.ie/sharedisland.

As a Government, we are taking sincere, ambitious, sustained action to enable the best prospects for our shared future on this island. The Government’s Shared Island Initiative is an inclusive, practical, positive agenda of action on a shared future for all communities, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.