Northern Ireland
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-26
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 to 37, inclusive, together.
Our programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for building our shared island backed by our €2 billion commitment to the shared island fund out to 2035. We are forging ahead with the investment and co-operation agenda across all sectors.
In November, the Government made a funding commitment of over €50 million from the shared island fund to resource ten new island-wide programmes over the next five years, including on media, heritage, emergency management, greenways and air transport.
In December, the Minister for enterprise and employment and I announced six projects under the €20 million shared island sustainability capital grant scheme, supporting six firms across the island and leveraging over €60 million in private capital investment for decarbonisation.
Some €2 million was announced by the Minister for foreign affairs under the shared island civic society fund for 64 cross-Border community projects and a further call for applications opened in April.
In January, the Minister for Education and Youth and her Northern Ireland counterpart announced the shared island teachers research exchange, providing educators with a digital community platform for professional learning and collaboration, and in April announced the expansion of the shared island creative connections programme to additional schools.
In February, we announced over €2.5 million for 13 projects that enhance visitor experiences along the Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coastal Route as part of the shared island tourism brand project.
Also in February, the Minister for agriculture, food, fisheries and the marine and his Northern Ireland counterpart launched the shared island cross-Border co-operation programme on tackling bovine TB on a regional basis.
In March, the Minister for justice convened a conference in Drogheda, with policing, education and social care representatives from North and South, in co-operation with Northern Ireland partners, on tackling domestic and gender-based violence.
Also in March, the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht announced capital funding of €6.2 million for shared island projects to support the Irish language and Ulster Scots culture, heritage and language.
In addition, five new shared island funding calls have opened since the start of the year: the Shared Home Place: Diaspora Voices initiative to bring together Irish people abroad, from all traditions, to explore shared heritage and place-based connections; Culture Ireland’s new shared island touring, production and platforms fund to support showcasing, international touring and co-productions by artists from across the island; the Arts Council’s shared island touring scheme to support cross-Border productions and island-wide creative partnerships; a fourth programme on female entrepreneurship under the shared island enterprise scheme; and a new call as part of the creative climate action fund.
Additionally, the shared island research programme continues to provide high-quality evidence and analysis. In December, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance launched a new annual ESRI report series, entitled "Assessing economic trends in Ireland and Northern Ireland". On 2 April, an ESRI shared island report was published on disability rates across the island of Ireland, the first such analysis. ESRI shared island reports on health inequalities, gender-based violence, regional productivity and regional income disparities are in preparation for publication in the second half of the year.
Through the shared island initiative, the Government is investing in strategic all-island co-operation, developing our partnerships with the Executive, including through the North-South Ministerial Council, and with the UK Government.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
We are fostering deeper connections and mutual understanding across all communities and traditions of this island.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-26