Brendan Smith
Ceist:1. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [14725/25]
Ceisteanna - Questions
National Economic and Social Council
John Lahart
Ceist:2. Deputy John Lahart asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [16778/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:3. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [16858/25]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:4. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [17098/25]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:5. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [17101/25]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:6. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [18953/25]
John Connolly
Ceist:7. Deputy John Connolly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [20995/25]
Ruth Coppinger
Ceist:8. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [22105/25]
Ivana Bacik
Ceist:9. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [22231/25]
Tony McCormack
Ceist:10. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [22313/25]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:11. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [22414/25]
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:12. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [22476/25]
Séamus McGrath
Ceist:13. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [24049/25]
James Geoghegan
Ceist:14. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Taoiseach his views on the National Economic and Social Council's recent compact growth report. [24166/25]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 14, inclusive, together.
The National Economic and Social Council advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. NESC is currently working in four main areas. With regard to Ireland’s future power system and economic resilience, this work investigates the impact of renewable energy targets in four areas: economic and enterprise opportunities; reliability of supply; energy costs; and export potential. The first in a series of reports on this topic was published on 18 April.
Work is also under way regarding artificial intelligence, including a focus on AI adoption and its impacts on Irish public services and the labour market. It will focus on issues such as transparency, ethics and equity and help build public trust and confidence around the challenges and opportunities of Al. It is expected that this work will be completed in quarter 4 of 2025.
Work is under way regarding household and communities’ perspectives on energy. This work focuses on the benefits, for households and communities, from new approaches to how we use and generate energy. It will consider protections for vulnerable groups, including those experiencing energy poverty. It is expected that this report will be published in quarter 2 of 2025.
Work on carrying and delivery capacity, in collaboration with the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, will look at ways Ireland could improve its long-term planning, provision and delivery capacity in areas such as housing, infrastructure, healthcare and other services. It is expected that this report will be completed in quarter 4 of 2025. Work on this programme will be ongoing throughout the rest of 2025.
In addition, NESC recently published a report, Deepening Compact Growth in Ireland. The Government welcomes the publication of the report, which was published on 6 May. The report makes several recommendations to make more progress on compact growth. Compact growth is Government policy, as stated in the national planning framework, Ireland’s long-term strategic spatial plan for the period to 2040. The Government confirms its commitment to this objective. Many of the commitments made in the programme for Government will contribute to compact growth, for example, the creation of a new strategic fund to invest in infrastructure, acquire land, assemble sites and de-risk sites in existing towns and cities to maximise their potential growth.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. NESC is doing comprehensive studies in very important areas. I want to again mention an issue that I flagged with the Taoiseach's predecessor, and with the Taoiseach when he held the office previously. Will NESC carry out an assessment of the all-Ireland economy, particularly in the context of cross-Border trade, where there has been development and growth to the benefit of all of our country? Representing two of the southern Ulster counties, I see at first hand the value and importance of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and what it has done from so many points of view, including the economic. We have one economy now, the all-Ireland economy. However, the central Border region of Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh is vulnerable because it is highly dependent on a small number of particular sectors, such as food, farming, construction products and tourism. We saw the threat that existed with Brexit. We now see the challenges that may arise in the context of tariffs being imposed on the European Union, maybe at a different rate from those that will be imposed on Britain. While we all sincerely hope that does not happen, we have to be prepared for it.
I have asked repeatedly, through the Office of the Taoiseach and in various parliamentary questions, if NESC would undertake a study on the challenges facing the central Border region, North and South, and also the opportunities for further economic development. I have been a representative there for some time. I saw the challenges with currency fluctuations and the movement of trade that devastated our local economy over many years. We should be prepared for turbulence in the economy that may arise but that nobody can readily predict. It is one area where we need to do more research and be prepared.
I thank the Taoiseach for taking the question. I have enjoyed reading NESC reports on and off for the last 30 years. I noticed that one of the most recent ones, which was also referenced by the Taoiseach, was in regard to energy poverty. Successive Governments have introduced schemes like the warmer homes scheme, which is very valuable, and we also have the fuel allowance. These cost the State significant amounts of money and it is right that the Exchequer pays this money out. However, it has often struck me that for a local authority like my own, South Dublin County Council, which has a housing stock of, say, 8,000 to 10,000 homes, the Government could mandate it to look at bulk buying of energy for social homes. NESC could also examine this. For example, South Dublin County Council could enter into negotiations with Bord Gáis, Energia or Electric Ireland to say that it has 10,000 homes and wants the company to give it a rate. Even though the customers are all individual bill payers, this would not contravene GDPR or their privacy rights. It could significantly reduce the cost of energy to those homes over time. I ask the Taoiseach to comment.
I add my voice to the condolences to the colleagues and family of Garda Kevin Flatley. It reminds us of the dangers that gardaí face every day. We can see the recent work that has been done in my constituency in dealing with incredibly serious organised crime, and I commend the Garda on that. Our thoughts are also with the families of the two teenagers who were lost in Donegal.
As my constituency colleague has stated, in case anyone needed to be told, it was an historic weekend for Louth after 68 years, and all the sweeter for it. I am delighted that the Taoiseach welcomes this and has forgiven Louth for 1957. Beyond that, he sees the necessity of a county stadium. It has already been stated that we have the under-20s, the minors, the ladies football and the camogie, as soon as sense prevails, and I commend the players in that regard. It has been a very good year, even for Louth hurling. However, we do not have a county stadium.
When I brought up this issue with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, he said that LSSIF funding would be determined on the basis of budgetary conditions, and we all understand that. However, when I dealt with the issue with his predecessor, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, he spoke about the fact the Louth county stadium, alongside Drogheda United, was on the reserve list. It is absolutely necessary that they are on the reserve list if funding becomes available or else top of the list for the next round.
The collapse of the houses at the canal yesterday encapsulates the scandal of dereliction and vacancy in this country. There are 160,000 vacant properties, 50,000 of which have been vacant for six years or more. Despite the immense housing crisis and the fact that over 15,000 people are living in emergency accommodation right now, the Government has done very little to address this.
These homes were owned by the Construction Industry Federation, the lobbyists for the builders in this country. They were left empty, left to become increasingly derelict over time, until such a point that they collapsed yesterday. They were put on the derelict sites register only in June 2023 but it does not appear that anything else has happened with them since then.
Does the Taoiseach agree the councils should be compulsorily purchasing properties that are left vacant for long periods of time? Do not allow these to sit vacant during a housing crisis. Bring them into public ownership and use them to provide housing to the very many people who need it.
I share the sentiment of my colleagues on the left regarding the work of NESC and the extensive research it undertakes. One concern I have is that following much of research it undertakes, it goes on to suggest action points or new departures the Government should make. Is there a particular formula for putting these into action? I speak particularly about recent research on Ireland's future power system and economic resilience, which noted that the transition from fossil fuels in the energy sector is heading into fog where visibility and certainty are low. Key actors are not on the same page from a strategic standpoint and, worryingly, the reliability of our power supply may worsen over periods of the transition. There is no clear visibility of the power system's reliability beyond 2032. Recently, a company in my constituency decided not to proceed with a significant renewable energy project. The report details a number of actions to be taken now, next and later. How do we intend to carry out the actions proposed?
Care of older people is very important and is generally privatised in terms of nursing homes. The workers who provide this service in nursing homes are essential workers. Many of them were brought over on a special work permit in which the Government was involved. I ask the Taoiseach on a humanitarian basis to listen to the issues raised by these workers. Their wages are too low to allow them to bring their families here, who, by the way, they can support; nobody is asking for any handout. There are so many criteria put in the way. For someone to bring their spouse, for example, they must earn €30,000. In order to bring one child, they must earn €36,000. To bring two children, they must earn €41,000. We are subjecting these workers to enforced family separation while expecting them to look after our families. It is not a very nice thing to do to people. It is not the type of care system we want. I plead with the Taoiseach to look into this issue. Unite trade union is organising these workers, which is very good. It has asked that these criteria be dropped and that these workers be allowed to work here and bring their families over. Most of them are nurses; the majority are from India. They have great skills from which we are getting added value. Most of their spouses are also health workers and could help with the labour shortage in the are of health.
I thank the Taoiseach for the update on the NESC. As he is aware, NESC has identified modern methods of construction as a key to reducing the cost of apartment delivery and supporting more compact sustainable urban growth. In order to realise this potential, however, we need to invest in our workforce. The national modern methods of construction, MMC, training centre in Mount Lucas in Offaly, run by the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, is already leading on this. Important work is also being done in the University of Galway. By expanding the Mount Lucas training centre and providing real incentives for existing construction workers to upskill, we can modernise the sector, lower costs and reduce environmental impacts. It is often said that we should work smarter and not harder but in truth we should always aim to do both. Will the Taoiseach, through his Department, commit to support the training and upskilling needed to fully unlock the benefits of MMC and meet our housing needs?
Specifically on the work of NESC, similar to Deputy Lahart, I welcome the broad consideration it has given to many issues. As the Taoiseach mentioned, it is carrying out work on artificial intelligence. Critical to this is ensuring we have the necessary infrastructure in place to support a modern digital economy. This includes the construction of data centres. Data centres have got bad rap in many places. On foot of launching the new Echelon data centres in Arklow on Friday, the Taoiseach is aware how these centres, which are critical pieces of infrastructure, meet the criteria of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities for data centres and how they will contribute to the national grid. Will the Taoiseach join me in stating that data centres are an essential part of the digital economy and that modern data centres will contribute towards energy supply in this country?
I thank the Taoiseach for his report on NESC. He made reference to its important report on compact growth. As we know, development within urban boundaries is a far more sustainable form of development, with access to key infrastructure, services and utilities. It lends itself more to public transport use and active travel use. It is a far more environmental and sustainable form of development. Making better use of our existing buildings has to be a key part of our housing strategy. The Croí Cónaithe vacant homes scheme does a lot of good work in this area, and we are making good progress on vacant buildings. The underutilisation of buildings and partial occupation of buildings is another issue. This so-called over-the-shop or over-the-office usage is something on which we need to do a great deal more work. The programme for Government sets out ambition in this respect but I ask the Taoiseach to prioritise it and bring forward incentives in order that we might better utilise our existing buildings and incentivise the so-called over-the-shop occupation model.
One of the issues the NESC compact growth report highlights in Dublin is the scourge of dereliction and what we need to do to tackle it. As the Taoiseach is aware, the Dublin city task force covers this issue at great length. On several occasions I have asked about where the task force is at and about its recommendations. From the replies he has given, I know the Taoiseach is committed to the implementation of the recommendations. Obviously, so is the Tánaiste, particularly as he initiated the report. It forms part of the programme for Government. At this stage, will the Taoiseach tell the House whether it is the case that the recommendations, and how they will be implemented, will be published by the Government before the recess, so that Dubliners and people around Ireland will know where the next steps are to be taken? There has not been a lot of sunlight in respect of what has taken place. We know it is at interdepartmental group level. I do not know what divisions, if any, are taking place at that level. We have not seen an outcome. Will the Taoiseach indicate to the House whether the recommendations and how they will be implemented will be made clear to the public before the summer recess?
Quite a number of questions were asked about the NESC report. I certainly will revert back to NESC on Deputy Brendan Smith's consistent seeking of a particular study on the challenges facing the central Border area. A number of reports have been done by NESC on North-South development but Deputy Smith wants something a bit more specific on the central Border area and the challenges in respect of the area. I have made the point myself that foreign direct investment in and around the Border area, or on a North-South basis, is something IDA Ireland could reasonably pursue also. It is an area that has not really been pursued to the degree that perhaps it could have been in the past.
Deputy Lahart raised the issue of energy poverty. His request or suggestion that local authorities should consider bulk buying energy is a good idea. This would involve using their purchasing power in respect of the properties they own to get a competitive price and reduce the costs. There are also new options emerging. When I say new, in south County Dublin it is already being done in terms of district heating. This should be accelerated by local authorities. It would go a long way towards dealing with issues of energy poverty. The warmer homes scheme is effective and has an impact but it is limited in terms of the number of people covered in any one year. Nonetheless, incrementally and cumulatively ,over time it will impact many people to their benefit and betterment.
Deputy Ó Murchú followed on from what Deputy McGreehan said earlier by articulating his delight at Louth's victory at the weekend. We congratulate Louth again. Deputy Ó Murchú is ambitious for the higher gifts and the need for a stadium in County Louth. When Deputy Ó Murchú says it was on the reserve list, the national sporting bodies listed priorities in respect of their own sports as to which facilities they felt could be dealt with first. The most recent large infrastructure fund was not large enough, or much of the funding had been committed to projects earlier, some of which are now coming to fruition.
We could ask NESC to commission a study on how we can enhance the capacity of the regional supports around the country-----
I appreciate it.
-----to take on the might of Dublin and the big cities. In any event, we will work on that.
In response to Deputy Murphy, I believe that local authorities should be far more active in the pursuit of CPOs on derelict sites. There is the Derelict Sites Act. Some complain that it is not strong enough. I have never bought into that. I have always sensed that in a lot of local authorities there is a degree of inertia around pursuing implementation of the Derelict Sites Act. There should be dedicated teams actively pursuing those issues.
In response to Deputy Connolly in respect of the action points, etc., much of NESC is conditioning and moving public mood and opinion in a given direction. Some of its recommendations can be of a general nature but ultimately they find their way into governmental policy, strategy papers and White Papers in terms of signalling a change of direction in relation to specific policy areas.
On the future power system, we have had a series of meetings already with CRU and with EirGrid around what is happening between now and 2030. There is a piece of work to be bottomed out in respect of the impact of AI on our future energy needs, in particular, because it uses up an enormous amount of energy. That work is under way between the Department of climate and the Department of enterprise. The two Departments are working on that aspect of it. There is a degree of visibility now. PR6 will be coming forward. It is being submitted to CRU, which will outline the investment in the grid for the next five-to-six years, which is looking like it could be close to double the level of investment in the grid over the past six years.
Deputy Coppinger raised the issue of family reunification of workers in the healthcare sector, particularly in private nursing homes. That is an issue I will talk to the respective Ministers about. There is a human dimension to that which I acknowledge and accept. It is trying to get the balance right within society in terms of the population growth, which has been quite exponential over the past two decades, in particular, and which has had its own impact on services - housing, healthcare and services generally across society. Nonetheless, when you meet workers who are three and four years separated from their wives and children and who are in a distant land, humanity would say there needs to be a certain response. It arises not only in the healthcare area. It is in a number of other areas as well.
I could not agree more with Deputy McCormack on modern methods of construction and I would be very interested in the further education sector dealing with that issue. There is capacity in that sector and in Mount Lucas, in particular. I might talk to the Deputy about that later. Certainly, we should talk both to the Minister of State for further and higher education, Deputy Marian Harkin, and the Minister, Deputy Lawless, in respect of pursuing that agenda.
In response to Deputy Malcolm Byrne, data centres are fundamental to the economy and to the digital economy, in particular. Digital and green is where the future is. They are not mutually exclusive. It creates challenges, about which there is no question, but we cannot just say there will be no more data centres for the next seven or eight years and we will get on fine; we will not. We need a sensible debate on that in the House as well. The development in Arklow, using offshore wind as well and connecting up with an offshore provider in respect of the energy issue, was interesting.
In response to Deputy McGrath, compact growth is the key to sustainable. We both saw in the docklands development in Cork where that is very much manifest. There have been challenges trying to get the apartment blocks going but it is very contiguous to the city centre. Essentially, it is a new lung in the city centre. We can go up. Planning is facilitating height, transport connectivity, etc. There is huge potential there. The NESC report is particularly applicable to the whole idea of really getting momentum on that.
The Taoiseach should conclude now.
In response to Deputy Geoghegan, I met with David McRedmond recently. We are making progress. The interdepartmental group will, I hope, bring proposals soon and I will bring that to the House in due course before the recess.
Cabinet Committees
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:15. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [8487/25]
Pat the Cope Gallagher
Ceist:16. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [16781/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:17. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [16857/25]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [17099/25]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:19. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [17102/25]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:20. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [18745/25]
Ruth Coppinger
Ceist:21. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [19931/25]
Emer Currie
Ceist:22. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [20790/25]
Cormac Devlin
Ceist:23. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [22201/25]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:24. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [22207/25]
Ivana Bacik
Ceist:25. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will next meet. [13746/25]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 25, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland was created on 18 February 2025 to oversee implementation of relevant programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments in relation to Northern Ireland, Irish-British relations and the shared island initiative.
As well as considering 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 will also include the annual United Kingdom-Irish 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.
I look forward to attending the next British-Irish Council summit in June in Newcastle, County Down. I welcome also that North-South Ministerial Council sectorals are continuing at pace, with seven having already taken place this year and another due to happen tomorrow. I also look forward to attending the next plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, in June, hosted by First Minister O'Neill and deputy First Minister Little-Pengelly.
Membership of the Cabinet committee consists of: the Taoiseach; the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and for Defence; the Minister for Finance; the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; and the Minister for Justice. The Minister of State, Seán Canney, is also entitled to attend. Other Ministers and Ministers of State can also be invited to participate as required. This Cabinet committee will meet biannually. Its first meeting took place on 12 May.
Issues related to Northern Ireland will continue to also be discussed at Cabinet, including where decisions are required, and at leadership level.
There is a great opportunity on this island for generating energy in a sustainable way and I am ambitious for what we can do. I believe we can be a leader and part of that is infrastructure, capacity on the grids, storage capacity, but also capital infrastructure that is needed to maintain the offshore wind farms. Greenore Port in County Louth is in a perfect position to be an incredibly valuable asset for the country, North and South, as it has planning permission for new operational and maintenance facilities. This should be considered as a North-South project, potentially under the shared island unit. I ask that the Taoiseach would ask his Department to look at how the State can support Greenore Port so that it becomes an asset for the entire island.
I welcome what the Taoiseach said in the sense of supporting a public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown. We have all heard about the huge level of collusion, the number of agents who had information and who had been involved in this and the questions in relation to surveillance. The question I have for the Taoiseach is on whether this Government policy. On that basis, how does the Taoiseach intend to engage with Hilary Benn and the wider British Government because we have to deliver for the family of Sean Brown who have been failed over the past 28 years?
I would also put it to the Taoiseach, as I have stated previously as regards Irish unity, that we have to deal with the constitutional issue and he has to come up with some means or mode where we can have the conversation on what constitutional change would look like. Alongside and long before that, we have many cross-Border issues, particularly in a constituency such as mine, that relate to taxation, benefits, insurance, etc.
Thank you, Deputy.
The Tánaiste, when he was Taoiseach, spoke about the need for a cross-Border hub that could deal with some of these issues and make sure that they are on the political agenda. We know that there will be no difficulty engaging with the Northern Executive.
I would ask you to conclude, Deputy Ó Murchú.
We should be able to engage with the British Government at this stage. We are not dealing with the madness we would have had previously.
We must never accept the Tory or media narrative that often scapegoats and demonises migrants. "Problems of low pay, housing and public services are not caused by migrants – they are caused by a failed economic model." Keir Starmer wrote that in 2020. However, after Labour took a hammering in the recent elections, the British Prime Minister has reversed course. Mr. Starmer has not reversed course on the so-called "welfare" reform. He has not reversed course on the attacks on disabled people.
He has reversed course by joining in with Nigel Farage's scapegoating of migrants. He delivered an incredible speech yesterday echoing Enoch Powell's notorious "rivers of blood" speech in which he talked about the danger of Britain becoming an "island of strangers" and said that there would be a big reduction in migration. Has the Government discussed what the impact of this will be as regards the North? I particularly ask about the health and social care workforce because 70% of health workers newly recruited in the North last year were from outside the UK and the EU. Will this have any impact on cross-Border workers?
I again raise the issue of the need for the British Government to repeal and replace the legacy legislation. This deplorable legislation gives murderers and terrorists the opportunity to absolve themselves of the most heinous of crimes regardless of whether they worked for British state forces or for paramilitary organisations. We need to see progress in replacing that legislation. We are days away from the 51st anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, an awful day when 34 people were killed on our island. We have seen a lack of co-operation from the British Government in responding to requests unanimously made by this Oireachtas on a number of occasions to give an eminent independent international legal person access to all papers and files pertaining to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. We need progress on that.
We very much welcome the great progress that is being made with the shared island initiative and the very substantial level of investment. A few weeks ago, while attending the Cork-Cavan national league game, the Taoiseach will have seen the very fine facilities we have in Kingspan Breffni Park. He will also be aware of the plans we have for a regional sports complex. In that context, we should have a stream in respect of sports funding on an all-Ireland basis through the shared island fund. This could allow for sister complexes, North and South.
The UK Supreme Court judgment on the definition of a woman impacts trans and intersex people in Northern Ireland. Many of them are living in fear and being driven out of public life, which is the intent of the judgment. The DUP has said that it will look at guidelines for schools, which means there could be further attacks on the rights of trans people. Many of these are eligible to be citizens of Ireland should they so choose. There has also been a ban on trans healthcare in the North. Yesterday, People Before Profit proposed an amendment that could have allowed that ban to be reversed but, unfortunately, it was not taken up by MLAs. People are mobilising in Belfast at 12.30 p.m. this Saturday to march for trans rights because the far right has also singled out this group as a very vulnerable minority. It is very important that we stand with trans and intersex people, whose rights we affirm in the Republic, and that we show our solidarity and support. Parties that are organised in both the North and the South should have the same position on this matter, North and South.
The Good Friday Agreement is now 27 years old. I will resurrect some research conducted around the 25th anniversary by Behaviour and Attitudes for The Sunday Times. It highlighted the attitudes of young people, including the ceasefire babies who grew up in peaceful times although very much still dealing with the legacy of conflict, paramilitarism and divided communities. Half of those 18- to 34-year-olds said they did not fully understand the history of the Troubles, 42% said they did and 8% said they did not know. It strikes me that the Good Friday Agreement should have more prominence in our primary and secondary schools not just as a history lesson, but as a living, breathing framework for peace and reconciliation on our island and beyond. There should be age-appropriate lessons on civil rights, the devastation of violence now and for generations, living with opposing ideologies and narratives and the role of dialogue. Those legendary laureates, Hume and Trimble, whose busts stand proudly in the Oireachtas, are no longer with us. Neither are several of the architects of the agreement. Their legacy must live on, however. The Good Friday Agreement is often referred to as a living document and so it should be but, to remain a living, breathing framework for peace and reconciliation that governs, as it should, the totality of relationships across these islands, new energy must continually be invested in it. That should involve giving the Good Friday Agreement more prominence in our schools.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I look forward to chairing the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The committee will begin its work shortly and I look forward to working with the Taoiseach and with colleagues from across the House in advancing the spirit and the commitments of the agreement.
Will the Taoiseach elaborate on how the Cabinet committee is progressing cross-Border ministerial co-operation? I am particularly interested in hearing about recent or planned work on cross-Border projects on healthcare co-ordination, enterprise and tourism promotion. These are areas where practical co-operation can deliver real benefits for communities on both sides of the Border. I thank the Taoiseach and commend the work of the Cabinet in establishing this committee on Northern Ireland.
I ask about Sean Brown, chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Gaelic Athletic Club in County Derry, who was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. No one has ever been convicted of his killing. The British Government has failed to establish an independent public inquiry into Mr. Brown's 1997 murder despite being directed to do so by the High Court and despite a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Belfast last month that declared this refusal to be unlawful and a breach of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Tánaiste met Bridie Brown yesterday evening. Will the Irish Government make a clear and unequivocal call for a public inquiry as directed by the High Court and Court of Appeal? I am asking for that to be enunciated very clearly. I am not talking about a nebulous form of investigation but a fully constituted public inquiry that is compliant with Article 2, as directed by the High Court and Court of Appeal.
I will also raise the issue of an investigation in respect of Sean Brown. All of us in this Chamber have talked about what the GAA means to us. Sean Brown was murdered in large part because he was a GAA member and official. On the day he was abducted by loyalists, he was simply closing the gates of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Gaelic Athletic Club in Derry. I welcome the Tánaiste's meeting with the family of Sean Brown. I believe he gave the family great confidence that action will be taken. I also welcome the Taoiseach's words on this matter in recent times. At a recent meeting with the British in Liverpool, it was articulated that there would be a reset of relationships between this State and Britain. The latter holds an enormous amount of documentation, evidence and facts relating to the killing of hundreds of Irish people through or by British forces in Ireland. If that relationship is to be reset, now may be the time to look for a significant delivery of such information to public inquiries so that people can get to the truth. Will the Taoiseach also tell us the status of the interstate case relating to the legacy Act?
I thank all of the Deputies for raising their various issues. On the work of the shared island unit, Deputy McGreehan mentioned Greenore Port. The first port of call - excuse the pun - should be to the Department of Transport. The shared island unit is not there to replace existing funding streams or strategies but to develop connectivity at structural levels, community levels, between local authorities and so on. I will talk to the Deputy later about the specific issues there. Ports policy is covered by the Department of Transport. The ports must be subject to ongoing development.
Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the murder of Sean Brown and the need for an inquiry. We have pushed for such an inquiry and articulated that need. I have to be balanced here. Deputies Ó Murchú, Brendan Smith, Tóibín and McDonald also raised these issues. Deputy Smith raised the issue of the legacy Act in its entirety and the need for the fullest of information regarding Belturbet and Dublin and Monaghan.
All of that is encapsulated by the legacy Act itself. The first thing that needs to be said in the context of resetting relationships is that this British Government has moved very significantly on the legacy Act compared to the previous British Government. The level of engagement now between the Irish Government and the British Government is significantly upscaled and of a different order compared to the level of engagement by the previous Government. I just want to make those points.
In respect of the case, it is still with the European court, although the key areas that we had pursued, or on which we rested the case, with regard to immunity has now been dealt with. The banning of civil cases has now been dealt with as well. There is a lot of engagement going on between officials on both sides in respect of a new potential dispensation on this, and whether we can we get agreement on a common approach to legacy, which I think would be very desirable.
May I make a point of information?
Let me finish, please.
Allow the Taoiseach to finish and I will allow the Deputy to come back to raise a point.
Regarding the legacy Act in general, if we could be, and if we in the Republic were, satisfied that there would be reciprocity in terms of information and so forth on both sides - people are seeking information from the Republic and the Government in the Republic in respect of a number of cases, including the Kingsmill case, and we co-operated on the Kingsmill inquiry, and we now have a memorandum of understanding with regard to the Omagh inquiry - I believe that the broad nature of legacy needs to be dealt with once and for all and comprehensively. The published Kenova report was quite revealing on state collusion between the United Kingdom's state forces and loyalist paramilitaries. It was also quite scathing of the work, activities and atrocities committed by the Provisional IRA. It was quite scathing and comprehensive. It said that the Provisional IRA did more damage to its own community than anybody else. We have never had a debate in this House about the Kenova report. Maybe that part of the Kenova report was too unpalatable for us to have a debate. I would like a debate on the entirety of Kenova in this House.
Go ahead.
Let us discuss it. Maybe half of it does not suit and, therefore, there were no calls from the Opposition for a debate on Kenova. We do need totality on legacy if we can. I go back to the Eames Bradley report. There has never been a successful approach that enjoys everybody's participation-----
Can I make my point of information, please?
-----in respect of legacy. There are aspects of the legacy Act that we do not agree with and are seeking to change. There is ongoing engagement between the Northern Ireland Office and our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Cabinet sub-committee has discussed this and the prospects of whether we can get a joint approach in respect of legacy that would be endorsed by both Governments. This work is currently under way.
On the other issues that were raised about the Good Friday Agreement, and to respond to Deputy Devlin, it is a living document, as Deputy Currie said as well. I would be open - I have put this idea forward in the context of the shared island - to see if there is a way we could develop a shared history programme. It may be an option for schools North and South to engage in. Is there a possibility to develop between academics North and South an approach to historical perspectives? People come from different communities with different perspectives on the histories. We did a lot of work during the decade of centenaries. A lot of good, informed history was written and updated, with new angles and new approaches to it. That could be informative to a younger generation. It is a worthy project.
I ask the Taoiseach to conclude.
Shared literature and poetry on the curriculum, North and South, is also something we should do.
There are cross-Border benefits with taxation. Deputy Ó Murchú asked about this. The inter-sectoral ministerial meetings are dealing with those issues. The Minister for Finance, with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive, have had discussions. Taxation is a challenging and complex issue, as I am sure the Deputy is aware, but it is a pressing one for workers North and South. There are significant anomalies there.
Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of the demonisation of migrants. Migration is an issue now in a way that it was not a decade ago. It is a significant issue. It is a significant issue in the United Kingdom and in the Republic. We need to approach it with sensitivity and honesty. In my view, it is legitimate for countries to say that the cases of those who are not entitled to asylum should be dealt with in an accelerated way, with due process offered. Then, if someone is not entitled to asylum, he or she should not remain in the State. There is absolutely no doubt that migration is now impacting on the politics, the political narratives, and the electoral outcomes in a lot of societies and a lot of countries across Europe, including the United Kingdom and Ireland, and we cannot be blind to that reality either. Governments are adapting and changing in respect of that reality. There are limits to what governments can do and there are limits to how far governments can respond. That needs to be understood also.
Deputy Coppinger raised the issue of trans rights. The British Supreme Court decision in respect of British legislation and does not have application in the Republic. We need to approach that issue with the utmost sensitivity. Every young person going through a very difficult journey in life does feel very vulnerable. I heard recently of statistics on the higher numbers of self harm among LGBT people but particularly among the trans community. This is very worrying. That is why there is a responsibility on every public representative to speak in an informed way, but always having in one's mind the person and the individual who is going through that journey and not to be judgmental. People can have their positions and people can have their perspectives but it is very important that we retain the capacity to have a genuinely sensitive discussion about these matters in our political discourse. That is what we will do. I hope the Oireachtas can unite on such an approach as being appropriate to the values we have set out in our own legislative frameworks. This is something I would continue to pursue.
Deputy McDonald had a point to make.
For the record, the imperative for a full public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown is entirely separate to the need for, or any prospect of, the overturning of the wider legacy legislation. It bears no relationship to it. The Taoiseach ought to know that the Brown case is unique in many features. It is about a failed inquest process. A very simple remedy can be afforded to create the public inquiry. I am concerned and anxious that the Government here does not confuse a wider legitimate issue around legacy and the need for a proper legislative framework. That is one thing and an important thing, but the imperative for the inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown is entirely distinct and legally separate from that. I want to make that point with some force to the Taoiseach so it is recorded in the Official Report of the Dáil.