€377m Shared Island Investment Boosts Rail, Water And Childcare

Good Friday Agreement Committee Welcomes Major Shared Island Investment

The Cathaoirleach of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, Deputy Cormac Devlin, has warmly welcomed the announcement of €377 million in new investment under the Shared Island Initiative. This funding supports twelve cross-border projects spanning transport, the environment, enterprise, education, and health.

Deputy Devlin stated that this investment is welcome news for communities both North and South. He noted that the Shared Island Initiative continues to deliver practical cooperation that improves people's daily lives, from the trains they take to the water that sustains their local environment. The Committee will continue to support and scrutinise work that gives effect to the Agreement.

The largest share of the funding is directed at rail and transport infrastructure. A package of €193 million will upgrade the Dublin to Belfast to Derry line between 2027 and 2030, improving line speed, capacity and journey times in line with the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Additionally, a further €35 million will continue the hourly Dublin to Belfast service to 2030. That service was introduced in October 2024, doubling rail connectivity between the two largest cities on the island and delivering a 40% increase in passenger numbers in its first year.

A €40 million scheme will support the development of offshore renewable energy ports in both jurisdictions, building the marshalling, assembly and supply chain capacity needed to meet renewable energy targets across the island. A €33 million contribution will fund a new Lough Neagh Catchment Area Water Quality Programme to 2031, reducing nutrient and sediment losses and restoring ecological habitats. The programme follows discussions at the North South Ministerial Council on the serious ecological challenges affecting Lough Neagh and its catchments, and forms part of a combined investment of over €56 million by both Administrations in water quality.

A separate allocation of €30 million will complete Phase 3 of the Ulster Canal restoration, a 10-kilometre cross-border section linking Clones to the Erne System and the Shannon to Erne waterway, with a new 9-kilometre greenway developed alongside it. Investment of €13.5 million will strengthen Early Learning and Childcare across the island. The funding will provide 1,000 additional upskilling places for early years educators, with 40 per cent of new places reserved for participants from Northern Ireland, and will deliver sensory resources and training to support young children, particularly those with a disability or additional needs.

Deputy Devlin concluded by highlighting the breadth of the package. He stated that better rail links, cleaner water in Lough Neagh, and real support for our youngest children all serve the same goal: building a more reconciled, prosperous and shared future for every community on this island.