Written answers
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Department of An Taoiseach
Cross-Border Co-operation
Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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244. To ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on the Shared Island Initiative. [22235/25]
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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On 10 April, I announced the new phase of the Government’s Shared Island Initiative in a keynote address to the 4th Shared Island Forum.
Our Programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for building a shared island, backed by a further €1 billion commitment to the Shared Island Fund out to 2035.
On 25 February, the Government announced over €50 million from the Shared Island Fund for new programmes to run over 2025-2030 on: sustainable tourism; arts and cultural heritage; civic society cooperation; and community-led nature restoration.
Shared Island Fund allocations are made to enable progress with priority projects and programmes that deliver on our Shared Island investment commitments and objectives under the Programme for Government and National Development Plan.
To date, over €550m has been allocated by Government from the Shared Island Fund to take forward multi-annual projects and programmes. A full list of Shared Island Fund allocations to date is provided in tabular form.
At the Shared Island Forum, I also announced a new dimension to the Initiative to commence later this year - the ‘Shared Home Place’ programme. This will be open to people from every corner of the island to build new connections around our place-based heritage, and will engage with the contributions of Irish, Anglo-Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions, as well as Irish communities in Britain and beyond.
On 28 April, I launched an overarching report and a new phase of the Economic and Social Research Institute’s joint research programme with my Department as part of the Shared Island Initiative. The huge untapped further potential of all-island cooperation is a major takeaway from the ESRI’s overarching report. This reflects the Government’s commitments to expand and progress our Shared Island Initiative, so that we bring cooperation and relationships across the island of Ireland to a new level.
Tabular information:
| Shared Island Fund allocations as of May 2025 |
|---|
| Development of two new all-island bioeconomy demonstrator facilities - €7m. Taken forward by the Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Casement Park redevelopment contribution - €50m. Taken forward by the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| All-Island arts capital investment projects - €7.4m. Taken forward by the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Arts and Cultural Heritage – up to €20 million (2025-2030). Taken forward by the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Taken and other relevant Ministers in cooperation with Executive and UK counterparts. |
| Shared Island dimension to Creative Ireland and Cultural Heritage projects - €8m (2023-2025) Taken forward by the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport and other relevant Ministers. |
| Pilot cooperation programme on educational attainment - €24m. Taken forward by the Minister for Education and Youth in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Shared Island Enterprise scheme - €30m. Taken forward by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Tourism brand collaboration project - €7.6m. Taken forward by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Tourism Shared Destinations projects to develop three sustainable tourism amenities in the border region - €23m. Taken forward by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Shared Island dimension to Community Climate Action Programme - €3m. Taken forward by the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy |
| Shared Island Civic Society Fund - €6m (total €9m fund including D/FAT contribution (2023-2027). Taken forward by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade |
| North South Research Programme contribution (2022-2027) - €50m. Taken forward by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science |
| Ulster University - new teaching and student services building in Derry - €44.5m. Taken forward by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in cooperation with Executive counterpart and Ulster University |
| All-Island Co-Centres for Research and Innovation contribution - €20m (2024-2030). Taken forward by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in cooperation with Executive and UK Government counterparts |
| Construction of respite and therapeutic centre for children diagnosed with cancer from across the island - €2.5m. Taken forward by the Minister for Health |
| Construction of the Narrow Water Bridge - €107m plus VAT. Taken forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Phases 2 and 3 Ulster Canal restoration contribution - €47m. Taken forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Cross-border innovation hub - €12m. Taken forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in cooperation with Local Authority partners |
| All-island peatlands and biosecurity projects - €11m. Taken forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in cooperation with Executive and Scottish Government counterparts |
| Shared Island nature restoration programme - €10 million (2025-2030). Taken forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
| Shared Island Local Authority development funding scheme - €5m. Taken forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage |
| Renewed visitor experience at the Battle of the Boyne site - €10m. Taken forward by the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works |
| Electric Vehicle charging point scheme for Sports Clubs across the island - €15m. Taken forward by the Minister for Transport |
| Introduction of an hourly rail service between Dublin and Belfast - €12.5m. Taken forward by the Minister for Transport |
| Completion of the cross-border Carlingford Lough Greenway - €1.5m. Taken forward by the Minister for Transport in cooperation with Executive counterpart |
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