Taoiseach Micheál Martin to announce new phase of Shared Island Initiative

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is set to announce a new phase in the Shared Island Initiative later today.

The Taoiseach will deliver a keynote speech at the fourth Shared Island Forum, where he will unveil the Shared Home Place programme as part of the initiative.

"We will commence a new dimension to the Shared Island Initiative this year - the Shared Home Place programme," Martin said. "This will be open to people across every corner of the island of Ireland to build new connections and consensus on our place-based heritage."

"Shared Home Place will engage in particular with the contributions of Irish, Anglo-Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions across the island of Ireland and with those Irish communities in Britain and further afield," he continued. "We want to better acknowledge how these are all integral parts of the heritage of the island today and crucial to how we build reconciliation into the future."

Ahead of the announcement, Martin has said the Government is committed to increasing the Shared Island Fund by €1 billion over the next ten years. This follows an allocation to the fund of €50 million in February, which now totals €550 million.

The Shared Island Initiative was launched by the Government of Ireland in October 2020 and aims to foster cooperation between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK.

This includes collaboration on cross-boarder infrastructure, such as the proposed restoration of the Ulster Canal, funding for researchers to work anywhere on the island through the North South Research programme, investment in cross-border arts and culture projects and more.