2026-05-19

1. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [7904/26]

2. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [7905/26]

3. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [7907/26]

4. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [7908/26]

5. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [30024/26]

6. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [31756/26]

7. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [32082/26]

8. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [32449/26]

9. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [34718/26]

10. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [34828/26]

11. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will next meet. [34872/26]

12. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will next meet. [34877/26]

13. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [36949/26]

14. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [36986/26]

15. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [37160/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 15, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland oversees implementation of relevant programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments in relation to Northern Ireland, Irish-British relations, and the shared island initiative. It considers issues relevant to the Government’s position as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, including our role in 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 and development of the investment, research and dialogue strands of the shared island initiative. On 12 and 13 March, the UK-Ireland summit took place in Cork. The summit plenary saw a wide-ranging discussion on 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, the protection of subsea infrastructure, cybersecurity 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 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 Grand Central Station to mark the signing of a €700 million 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 report on 2025 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-Derry airlink service and a shared island media fund as well as significant investment in 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 this shockingly prevalent problem North and South. In November last year, we agreed €5.9 million in shared island funding to strengthen the existing co-operation between our emergency and fire services. The next meeting will be 15 June.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as an uasdatú sin. Tá dhá cheist agam. I dtosach báire, will the Taoiseach update the House on the intention to reform the Good Friday Agreement institutions? This has been flagged a number of times by the Government and the Taoiseach and I would be grateful for an update on the thinking of ourselves, the British Government and the Northern Irish parties on this. The Taoiseach rightly pointed to the success of the shared island initiative, which has been transformative in bringing people together. Will he elaborate on whether or not consideration could be given to using the shared island fund to promote initiatives to combat loneliness? It is a blight in societies North and South and I would be grateful for an update in this regard.

The publication last September of the joint framework between the British and Irish Governments relating to legacy issues arising from the Troubles was a welcome development. The legislation enacted by the previous British Government whereby murderers, be they from state forces or paramilitary organisations, could give themselves immunity was reprehensible. Will An Taoiseach update us on the progress in advancing the measures provided for in that framework? Last Sunday marked the 52nd anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings where 34 innocent people were killed and more than 300 injured. It is essential that at every meeting with members of the British Government the Irish side highlights in no uncertain terms that the Oireachtas needs a positive response to our unanimous request, made on four occasions, that an independent, eminent, international legal person be given access to all files and papers pertaining to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and ensure full co-operation and a comprehensive investigation.

There are a huge number of opportunities for all-island co-operation. This Government has led on the first all-island university in the partnership between DkIT and Queen's. We work together, study together and live together and all along the border it is seamless. However, when it comes to healthcare there are a lot of barriers. There are examples of where you can get dialysis in the North if you are a southern patient. Increased co-operation can only be good for Border communities. If we are looking at furthering the health and well-being of all our people on the island, increased capacity in our healthcare North and South can only be better if we work together. I would love an update on that.

I thank the Taoiseach for the update. As Cathaoirleach of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement committee I have seen first hand the value of the shared island initiative from my visit last June with the Taoiseach to Narrow Water Bridge in County Louth, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, to the ongoing restoration of the Ulster Canal. Closer to home, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown chamber and Bangor chamber signed the shared island economic partnership memorandum of understanding in April and presented jointly to the committee on the cross-Border economic corridor. Will the Taoiseach indicate how the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will support business-led partnerships of this kind? Will he confirm when phase 3 of the Ulster Canal is expected to be completed?

Has there been any engagement with the British Government to deal with the issue of the road user levy? This was introduced on all HGVs over 12,000 kg. Southern hauliers have to pay €10 per day to cross the Border. We know there are many Border crossings and how many times that can happen. There is also an administration issue. If you fail to do that, you could have a £300 fine. It is an issue that needs to be dealt with. I have dealt with my colleagues in the North who have brought it up, but it needs agreement with the British Government, which has full control of this issue.

The Friends of Irish Athletics group presented to a packed audiovisual room earlier today. It highlighted the longstanding discrepancy, injustice and discrimination related to the World Athletics 1934 political boundary rule. This means that when an Irish runner competes for Ireland in the Olympics they are specifically representing the island of Ireland, but when an Irish runner competes in the World Athletics Championships they are specifically representing the Twenty-six Counties. The Friends of Irish Athletics group is campaigning for Athletics Ireland to bring forward a motion to the 2027 World Athletics Congress to seek a derogation from the 1934 political boundary rule. Athletics Ireland has indicated some willingness to do this. Will the Taoiseach contact Athletics Ireland on behalf of the Government to encourage it to engage with stakeholders to advance that motion?

The Taoiseach knows there are over 600,000 Irish citizens or people who hold Irish passports in the North. Obviously, there has been a significant surge in Irish passport applications from citizens living in the North since Brexit. Over 120,000 applications were received in 2024 and almost 85,000 last year. Given this sustained demand, does the Taoiseach agree that Irish citizens in the North deserve a dedicated passport office? When is this going to happen? If the State can run a passport office in London, as it should, surely it is reasonable and necessary to establish a permanent passport office in Belfast and Derry to provide this basic public service closer to home for hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens in the North.

On Sunday in Ardboe, thousands of people marched to save Lough Neagh from environmental disaster due to the extreme eutrophication of the waters of Lough Neagh. The protest saw fishermen, swimmers, trade union activists, environmentalists and many more squarely put the blame on all of the major parties in Stormont for failing to prevent the greenlighting of factory farms that are polluting Lough Neagh. They also point to the private ownership of Lough Neagh by Lord Shaftesbury and the failure to protect the precious biodiversity of Lough Neagh. Does the Taoiseach have any comment on that?

I know the Taoiseach recently met with the SDLP leader, Claire Hanna, about reform of the Stormont institutions. It is something we in the Labour Party have long called for. The SDLP is calling on the UK and Irish Governments to engage in a short process of talks with parties to deliver change before the next Assembly elections. Will the Taoiseach confirm if he is considering that and if he will convene talks?

The Springhill massacre saw the killing by the British army of three children, a father of six and a priest. The inquests concluded three weeks ago and there has been silence from the British since. There has been not a dicky bird and no apology at all from the British for these killings. Does the Taoiseach think there should be an apology from the British Government for these killings? On the legacy Bill, the British Secretary of State will still hold the power to determine whether there will be an investigation. He will be advised by the security forces, often the very people who are the subject of those investigations, about whether there should be an investigation. Is it not wrong that a politician, especially a British politician, is being advised by the security forces that there should not be an investigation into themselves? Should the Government not make sure that does not remain part of the new legacy Bill?

I thank all Deputies for the issues they raised. Bhí an Teachta Moynihan ag caint faoi Chonradh Aoine an Chéasta agus go háirithe an cinneadh a rinneamar maidir leis an oileán comhroinnte. He spoke about the shared island initiative and the decision in respect of it. He asked if loneliness could come under that umbrella. It certainly could. We have had discussions with the Minister of Health in the North about public health interventions under shared island. We can try to get the right organisations together North and South, as we have in the area of domestic violence where the National Women's Council Ireland is working with Women's Aid in the North. We have already funded joint projects between the two in respect of that issue. Likewise, if we can get the right bodies to focus on the issue of loneliness, which is a significant socialisation issue and has an impact on health, we will be willing to work on that. We have made a lot of progress on the legacy agreement, which was raised by Deputy Smith. I say to all concerned that this is the opportunity to get this Bill through. He is correct to say that the previous Bill was deficient and the previous British Government did not consult as widely as it should have initially. It had measures in that Bill that were completely unacceptable. There has been a complete change in approach by the current British Government compared with what occurred prior to that. We need to acknowledge that. It is still going through Westminster. We are keeping an eye on it insofar as we want it to be true to the joint framework agreement. I am clear in my head that this is the opportunity to get a legacy Bill through that can sustain, and this current Government is the government in Britain that can deliver that. We have no guarantee that any future government, whatever configuration that might be, will be as disposed to the kind of legacy Bill we have in front of us. That needs to be said, and I say it straight. That is the reality of it, and we are continuing to work with the British Government to make sure it stays faithful to what was agreed. I think Queen's and Dundalk is an exciting proposal. I was up there giving the annual David Trimble lecture, and I met the heads of Queen's and Dundalk Institute of Technology. That is a very exciting potential partnership and again we stand ready to support that. They are working on it. Deputy McGreehan made a point on the health service. There has been progress under CAWT, which she is probably familiar with, and on cancer and on heart at Altnagelvin, along with dialysis to some degree. More and more, particularly in the north west, we should be looking at really making it a whole health area. That would be my view. Instead of expecting people to travel all the way to Galway from Donegal, Sligo or all along the north east, it makes sense that we would synergise and use up the capacities. We can resource some of that and we are prepared to resource that through shared island funding because everybody benefits - citizens North and South benefit. I was in Altnagelvin some years ago and met a Donegal man who literally had about a 15-minute drive to Altnagelvin. He had to get a stent in because he had a cardiac event. Under our strategies here, that person could have had to go to Galway, in theory, whereas this makes so much more sense. The cancer centre in Altnagelvin that we helped fund some years ago is a superb opportunity and a service for people. Deputy Devlin mentioned, I think, Dún Laoghaire and Bangor. Again, that cross-Border corridor is extremely important. The Enterprise service has been superb. There has been a 40% increase in the number of people because the shared island initiative funded the hourly service. We want to continue to fund those economic corridors. I do not have an exact timeline for phase 3 but it is going to happen and we will be funding that right to the end as well. It is great that through the shared island initiative, the county councils, about 25 of them, are looking at feasibility studies and how best we can have joint projects between the councils. Moving to Deputy Ó Murchú, the road user levy did not come up at the last North-South Ministerial Council. I met all the Northern parties last week but I will pursue it. How we can intervene in that is an open question but I hear what the Deputy is saying in respect of it and the additional costs it entails. I think Deputy O'Rourke was saying Athletics Ireland was negative in terms of what he was suggesting about the same rules that apply to the Olympics applying to the world championships and the 1934 rule. I would have to examine that in greater detail but we should be careful of overly intervening in the sporting world. It has worked out its frameworks over a long number of years and we should respect the sporting bodies in that regard. I would like to see what it has to say about the issues involved. Deputy Conway-Walsh raised a dedicated Passport Office. This has been a hardy annual for some years. It is all online now. That is the direction of travel. If you look at the statistics, they are overwhelming. The Department of foreign affairs has been of the view for quite some time and has moved away from the establishment of any new physical offices for symbolic reasons because the bulk of applications come in online. That is the Department's view and I have a lot of sympathy with it. The Department has concentrated a lot on getting a very quick turnover of passport applications if everything is in order and so on. The speed of response is quite significant and that is positive. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised Lough Neagh and again shared island funding has been made available to help with the pollution there. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the shared island unit have had good engagement with the Minister of agriculture in the North, Andrew Muir. He is certainly doing everything he possibly can to deal with what is a chronic situation with the lough. Again, we have sought to pool our resources and bring experts together to try to identify what is the best way to try to deal with this pollution, which is shocking and chronic and really undermining what the lough has to offer. On the reform of politics in Northern Ireland, I raised the issue with all the political parties last week when I was in Belfast. I spoke about this a number of years ago at the Alliance Party's annual dinner but I favour reform of strand 1 of the Good Friday Agreement in respect of enabling politics to work better. I think there is greater confidence in some parties. Sinn Féin is saying it is going to produce proposals in respect of that and people are awaiting those. That is a new position but it is important. The DUP is saying it is not as enthusiastic about this, to put it mildly. The Alliance, the SDLP and other parties are. Again, the parties themselves need to get together to discuss this. For example, the Assembly should meet immediately after an election and a speaker should be elected. That is a very basic reform that should not bring the whole house down. Then there would not be a vacuum in terms of the Parliament meeting after an election.

What about Deputies Ahern and Tóibín?

That was on Deputy Ahern's point.

Excuse me.

Deputy Tóibín raised the Springhill massacre. I have not seen the full outcome of the inquest but timely and proper apologies should be given in respect of the Springhill massacre and other events of a similar kind. On the legacy Bill, I have made my point to the Deputy that huge progress has been made compared with where we were in terms of the previous legacy Bill. I have confidence that if it gets through the legislature in Britain and is implemented in good faith, it will make for a defining moment in dealing once and for all with legacy on the island of Ireland. If the Deputy does not mind me saying, some people want to have a campaign forever. I remember the Eames-Bradley report. I would say that was nearly 20-odd years ago, or 25 maybe. I do not know. Maybe it was not that long ago. It was talking about legacy. Every initiative has failed. It is start-stop, start-stop.

But should a politician be in charge of a criminal conviction?

Here is an opportunity to try to get it over the line.

Thank you, everybody. We can add the time to the next question.

Ultimately there has to be political accountability in respect of all these matters.

There are 18 Deputies in the next grouping. Most Deputies are present, so we will work with 45 seconds each.