Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Taoiseach if he will address the Shared Island Initiative, and the matter of preparing for a new Ireland as raised in correspondence (details supplied). [59238/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The principle of consent and the possibility of change in the constitutional status of Northern Ireland are fundamental elements of the Good Friday Agreement, endorsed by the people of this island, North and South.

The approach of the Government in relation to Irish unity is guided by Article 3 of the Constitution, as amended by the people in 1998.

The Government respects and affirms everyone’s right to make the case for the constitutional future for Northern Ireland they wish to see - whether they are nationalist, unionist or do not identify with either tradition.

In the event of a future referendum within the consent provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government would make all necessary preparations in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and the principles and procedures of the Agreement.

The Programme for Government affirms the Government’s commitment to the unity of the Irish people, and to a sustained focus on and investment in reconciliation, developing the three sets of relationships recognised in the Good Friday Agreement to unlock the full potential of our island.

Through the Shared Island Initiative, the Government is moving forward with the vital task of building a lasting reconciliation between all communities on this island.

This is backed by our Shared Island Fund, now a €2 billion commitment out to 2035, through which we are enabling the largest ever programme of all-island investment across all sectors, to build a more connected island, in terms of infrastructure, services, our economy and crucially between people.

The Shared Island Initiative is supporting new all-island cooperation programmes for universities and research institutions; local authorities; civil society organisations; in the arts; on community climate action; and, as part of the Creative Ireland programme.

These are all contributing to the goal of enabling people from all places, generations and backgrounds on this island collaborate in new ways on their common concerns to build a shared future together.

The Government in February tasked every Department with bringing forward new proposals and will be making further announcements on a new set of Shared Island programmes in the coming weeks.

In April, I announced a new dimension to the Initiative - the ‘Shared Home Place’ programme – to commence in 2026 and be open to people from every corner of the island to build new connections through our place-based heritage.

This new programme will engage with the contributions of all traditions across the island of Ireland, including Irish, British, Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots traditions - recognising how these are an integral part of the heritage of every county today and crucial to how we approach and build our future.

The programme will also recognise and include the greater ethnic and cultural diversity of the island now, which is a source of richness and strength in society, and engage with diaspora communities in Britain, the United States, and further afield.

Shared Home Place will build on the sustained programme of all-island dialogue and engagement that the Government of Ireland has supported, including through the Shared Island Dialogue series which involved more than 4,000 representatives, and the Shared Island Youth Forum of 80 representatives who deliberated over a year and in 2024 produced an impressive statement of their vision and values for a shared future on this island.

In February, the Government doubled resourcing to the Shared Island Civic Society Fund administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade to support new and more strategic civic partnerships across the island in the years ahead, building on more than 100 community level projects started so far. All of this civic engagement is continuing to inform how Government develops the Shared Island Initiative.

The Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade also administers the Reconciliation Fund, the Government’s flagship programme for reconciliation on this island and across these islands since 1982. The Fund’s budget increased to over €7 million in 2024. This year alone, 154 projects have so far benefited from that support.

In April, I launched a new phase of my Department’s joint research programme with the Economic and Social Research Institute, with a focus on strategic policy and cooperation considerations for the island, and research projects for 2025-26 are underway.

On 17 October, a Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council was hosted in Dublin that discussed areas of shared focus and ambition across our two Administrations. Since the Executive returned in 2024 there have been thirty-one meetings of the Council, across Plenary, Institutional and Sectoral formats.

The Government will continue to deepen our partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive and with the UK Government as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement and work every day to harness the full potential of the Agreement to foster reconciliation between the different traditions of this island.