Extra €377 million for Shared Island initiative ‘significant’ – Taoiseach

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

Up to €377 million added to the Shared Island initiative is a “significant” amount of funding for a “groundbreaking” project, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

The Taoiseach said the additional funding brings the overall Shared Island Fund to €1 billion.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet on Tuesday morning, he said the additional funding would help with connectivity between north and south, and develop infrastructure projects and “interesting” renewable energy programmes.

“I will be bringing a memorandum in relation to the Shared Island initiative and a very, very significant allocation of up to €377 million, which will bring the overall allocations from the Shared Island Fund now to 1 billion, which I think is a very significant impact,” Martin said on Tuesday.

He said it was significant “in terms of connectivity between north and south, and in terms of the development of very significant infrastructure projects, in particular here the significant rail projects for the north-west and for Derry, Dublin, Belfast”.

“Also, we’re putting in a further 35 million in terms of the early service from Dublin to Belfast, and the numbers have increased by 40% as a result of that Shared Island initiative.

“The phase three of the Ulster Canal, working with Northern Ireland Executive on the Lough Neagh catchment area in terms of pollution and water quality there, an interesting renewable energy programme of significant investment involving Belfast, Cork and other ports in terms of renewable energy and working together in respect of that.

“Quite a range of other projects, the North West Cancer Centre to get additional supports in Altnagelvin in particular, further tourism products in Carlingford, and if you look at the Shared Island initiative now in the Mourne Mountains/Carlingford area, it’s quite dramatic, quite impactful.

“I think this is a really groundbreaking initiative, and today’s decision, I think, adds very significantly to that.”

Just over a week ago, Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris announced that his party would develop a “blueprint for a unified island” by November.

Days later, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald introduced the Planning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026 in the Dáil.

The Bill calls for planning to be done on the possibility of constitutional change on the island of Ireland, in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement, for the Taoiseach to prepare and publish a green paper on the issue and for a Citizens’ Assembly to be formed.