Micheál Martin: Shared prosperity, Shared Island progress

The Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland oversees implementation of the relevant Programme for Government Commitments and Ongoing Developments in relation to Northern Ireland, Irish-British Relations and the Shared Ireland Initiative. It considers issues relevant to the Government's position as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, including our role in the Good Friday Agreement institutions such as the North-South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Topics for discussion also include the annual UK-Ireland Summits and their agreed Programme of Work, and the continued roll-out of the development of the investment, research and dialogue strands of the Shared Ireland Initiative. On 12 and 13 March, the UK-Ireland Summit took place in Cork. The Summit Plenary saw a wide-ranging discussion on the achievements to date under the UK-Ireland 2030 Programme of Strategic Co-operation and on shared ambitions to see co-operation deepen and deliver across a range of areas, including energy security and the transition to clean energy security, and the protection of subsea infrastructure, cyber security and competitiveness, as well as our people-to-people ties. We also discussed wider international issues, including the situation in the Middle East, the Gulf region and the Ukraine. Prime Minister Starmer and I agreed a statement reflecting the overall theme of the Summit – shared prosperity, shared seas, shared ties – which set out achievements over the past year and looked ahead to future work together of mutual benefit to Ireland and the United Kingdom. On 7 May, I was pleased to return to Belfast. My visit included opportunities to hear directly from political, business and civic leaders, and to discuss ongoing and evolving all-island priorities. While in Belfast, I was delighted to participate in a joint event at Grant Central Station to mark the signing of a €700m contract for a new fleet of Enterprise trains and related rail infrastructure. I was also pleased to deliver the Lord David Trimble lecture in Queen's University. David played a critical role in the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement. The principles and purpose of the agreement remain central to what my Government does and how we foster relationships across these islands, including through the Shared Island Initiative. Also on 7 May, the Shared Island Initiative 2025 report was published. During 2025, the Government made funding commitments of over £100 million from the Shared Island Fund for new multi-annual programmes that deepen co-operation and connections across the island, including on sustainable tourism, nature restoration, civic-society co-operation, emergency response, a new Dublin Dairy Airlink service and a Shared Island Media Fund, as well as significant investment in the arts and cultural programmes. On 8 May, along with Government colleagues, I attended the 31st Plenary Meeting of the North South Ministerial Council, hosted by the Northern Ireland Executive in Armagh. This was the fifth such meeting since the restoration of the Good Friday Agreement institutions in 2024. The agenda included discussions on shared challenges and opportunities relevant to both jurisdictions, including tackling gender-based violence and the potential areas where we can work together to eliminate the shocking parallel problem north and south. And then just in November last week, we agreed £5.95 million in Shared Island funding to strengthen the existing co-operation between our two emergency and fire services.