50. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a full update on the Shared Island application from Cork County Council and Belfast City Council, which aims to provide a new cross-harbour cycle and walking swing bridge from Sailortown to the Titanic Quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37985/24]

In September 2022, the Government’s Shared Island Local Authority Development funding scheme (SILAD), which is administered by my Department, supported a number of feasibility assessments by local authorities - including the projects referred to - as potential cross-border collaborative projects across a range of sectors. The scheme, which is funded through the Shared Island Fund, supported Local Authorities North and South in progressing feasibility work on new joint investment projects which could take forward shared local and regional development goals and enable local authorities to pursue relevant funding streams in both jurisdictions for implementation stages. SILAD supports a number of feasibility assessments by local authorities. These studies cover potential cross-border projects across a range of sectors including biodiversity, heritage, tourism, decarbonisation, the circular economy, rural and urban regeneration, education, business innovation, and cultural and creative industries.

My Department and the Shared Island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach have engaged with each of the local authority partners on their SILAD feasibility reports. My Department met with representatives of Cork City Council and Belfast City Council on 18 June to discuss how the Councils could consider progressing the proposals in their SILAD project to a further stage of development, working with the relevant line Departments and Agencies, North and South, and aligned with relevant planning and funding processes in each jurisdiction.