Written answer
Cross-Border Co-operation
16. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the research and studies undertaken to date and underway at present in relation to the provision of public services and the potential for further industrial and economic development on an all-Ireland basis commissioned directly by the Shared Island Unit of his Department and/or commissioned by other departments or statutory agencies and funded through that initiative. [64052/26]
Comment on this
As part of the Shared Island Initiative, my Department’s Shared Island Unit takes forward a wide-ranging policy research programme, working with the Economic and Social Research Institute, National Economic and Social Council and other partners.
Research projects undertaken to date that relate to the provision of public services and further industrial and economic development on an island-wide basis are listed in tabular form below.
All research is available at a new research repository, gov.ie/sharedisland/research that I launched on 29 June, to host and increase accessibility to the 50+ Shared Island research programme outputs to date.
Other relevant Shared Island research programme elements that are underway include:
- Implementation of the Programme for Government commitment to a new North-South Statistical Series, with publication by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the first all-island statistical series on 3 June, on ‘Ireland and Northern Ireland - A Regional Economic Comparison’. The series by the CSO in consultation with its Northern Ireland counterpart will provide comparable data on social and economic measures across both jurisdictions. Further releases will focus on issues such as Trade, Labour Market and Cross-Border Working, Tourism, Education, Health, Housing, Disabilities, Crime, and Gender-Based Violence.
- Also, my Department is consulting with the Secretariat of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) on a proposal for research on economic challenges and opportunities for the Central Border Region, North and South, building on the NESC comprehensive report on Shared Island (2022).
Separately, in addition to work commissioned as part of the Shared Island research programme, line Ministers and their Departments and Agencies commission research to support their remits and objectives for cooperation with Northern Ireland counterparts, including through the work of the six North South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland Ltd.