Latest news with #SharedIslandInitiative
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Narrow Water Bridge set to begin ascent over Carlingford Lough
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, received a progress update during a visit to the construction site on Thursday, 12th June. The event featured a presentation from the project team and a guided site walk on the southern embankment, offering a close-up view of the major engineering works which are now well underway. The Narrow Water Bridge, a flagship Shared Island Project, is set to unlock new tourism and connectivity potential in the east border region and is expected to drive local economic development by boosting employment and visitor footfall. It will be a critical link in the cross-border active travel and recreation network, supporting greenways, mountain bike trails, walking routes and access to the region's stunning natural amenities. When complete, the 195-metre cable-stayed bridge will link County Louth and County Down at Narrow Water near Warrenpoint in County Down, providing a direct connection between the Mourne Mountains and the Cooley Peninsula. Designed to accommodate vehicular, cycle, and pedestrian traffic, it will connect the A2 Newry to Warrenpoint dual carriageway with the R173 Omeath. The bridge will also feature a movable bascule span to allow ships to pass through to the Newry Canal. The visit was also attended by Erin McGreehan TD, Cormac Devlin TD (Dún Laoghaire) and Chair of the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee, Senator Alison Comyn, as well as representatives from the main contractor BAM Civil Ltd and Roughan & O'Donovan, Louth County Council's employer representative. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: 'I am delighted to return to the site of the Narrow Water Bridge, which is now under construction and a true embodiment of the Government's Shared Island Initiative. This bridge is a tangible symbol of our vision and commitment to deepening connections across this island. Once complete, the bridge will enhance connectivity, unlock new opportunities for tourism and active travel, and support long-term economic development across the Carlingford Lough region, strengthening the ties that are so important for our shared future.' James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said: 'I was delighted to view the progress at the Narrow Water Bridge site. It reflects the enduring strength of all-island collaboration. This project stands as a landmark example of what can be achieved through shared vision and partnership. I wish to acknowledge the pivotal role of Louth County Council in driving this initiative forward with my Department, alongside our colleagues in Northern Ireland. Their dedication and leadership continue to be instrumental in delivering this transformative infrastructure for the region.' Cllr Kevin Callan, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, said: 'The Narrow Water Bridge is more than a piece of infrastructure; it is a symbol of connection, opportunity, and a shared vision for our future. We are proud to show the tangible progress being made and to reaffirm our commitment to delivering a project that will benefit generations to come. We are especially pleased to welcome the Taoiseach back on site and deeply appreciate the strong support he has personally shown in helping to bring this landmark initiative to fruition.' Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive of Louth County Council, added: 'The Narrow Water Bridge project demonstrates what can be achieved through meaningful cross-border collaboration and long-term planning. Louth County Council is exceptionally proud to lead on the delivery of such a landmark project, and we are pleased with the progress to date and grateful for the continued support of our partners and stakeholders across both jurisdictions.' Alasdair Henderson, Executive Director of BAM Ireland, said: "The Narrow Water Bridge project represents a vital investment in Ireland's infrastructure, and BAM is proud to partner with Louth County Council to bring it to life. This transformative development will enhance connectivity, promote tourism, and encourage active travel, fostering lasting opportunities for local communities and the country. By driving long-term economic growth, the project ensures that this investment delivers meaningful and lasting benefits to society." The Taoiseach had been in the Carlingford Lough area for a briefing on the implementation of the Shared Island Shared Destinations projects. The Shared Destinations Project will see initiatives in Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark; Carlingford Lough; and Sliabh Beagh each receive funding for the development of cross-border trails, enhanced amenities and wayfinding and interpretation to improve the visitor experience and encourage more domestic and international visitors to explore these regions, driving economic benefits for the local communities.
RTÉ News
12-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Cross-border bridge to be finished on time, within budget
The contractors involved in the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge have confirmed that the project is on course to be delivered on time and within budget. The bridge will link Omeath in Co Louth with Warrenpoint on the other side of the border in Co Down. The project aims to kickstart a new era of cross-border tourism in the area while also slashing the journey times of those who need to travel to the opposite side of Carlingford Lough. Today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid a visit to inspect the work taking place at the construction site on the Omeath side of the bridge. The project has received significant backing from the Government's Shared Island Initiative to the tune of more than €100 million. The contractors behind the project, BAM, today confirmed that the bridge is on course to be fully operational by the end of 2027, without incurring any cost overruns. Once built, the 195-metre cable-stayed bridge will have designated vehicle, cycle and pedestrian lanes, and provide a direct link between the Cooley Peninsula and the Mourne Mountains. The design of the bridge will allow for a section of it to be raised, permitting the through passage of boats on Carlingford Lough. John O'Hagan, Senior Engineer with Louth County Council, which is the lead promoter of the project, has said that parts of the bridge will arrive here from Belgium in two stages. He said: "In the first instance, you will see the thick span coming in. That is due in around the end of quarter one of next year. They will float up the river in three sections and then be put in place over a matter of months. "In terms of the remainder of the bridge on the opening section, that will come in in March 2027. Again, it will float up the river but this time to Warrenpoint and then come down the A2 dual-carriageway to be sat in place. "At that stage, the marine works will commence again to remove those piles [that are currently in place]," Mr O'Hagan added. Meanwhile, project director with contractors, BAM, William Diver today gave an update on the works that have already been carried out on both sides of the lough. Mr Diver said: "A lot of the piling works have been completed on time. We've had a lot of environmental constraints to contend with, but that has all gone extremely well on the project." He added that the abutment works, which refers to the construction of the ends of the bridge that will then support its spans, are also on schedule. "The abutment works are on program and will complete now in the next month. And again, the bascule abutment on the northern side has commenced construction. That will continue now until probably September or October this year. And again, these works will be well completed in advance of the bridge arriving in from Belgium," Mr Diver said. The Executive Director of BAM Ireland, Alasdair Henderson has said that the Narrow Water Bridge is an example of an infrastructure project that Ireland does "really well." He said: "It's a very visual expression of the Shared Island Initiative. What you see [here] is what happens when government invests in infrastructure for the country, you get these kinds of projects. They create employment, they create opportunity, they create tourism. It really does mean a success for the entire country. "From a standpoint of how you construct these sorts of things, yes, on time, on budget, that's how we do this, and that's what BAM does as an organisation. But it's also a measure of what the industry is capable of within this country. We have great capability within Ireland. We want to be making more of that and making sure that investment in the country yields benefits for society." Mr Henderson added that he believes, once built, the Narrow Water Bridge will bring prosperity to the area. "It links the peninsula and it links the mountains. It means tourists coming from Belfast come further south. It means tourists coming from Dublin come further north. It creates an economic incentive to be here, and that has huge benefits across the societies that are local and indeed wider in Ireland, a very good news story."
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
It would be some irony if the two parts of Ireland taught the UK lessons in devolution
Quality of life is much the same North and South, although we tend to arrive at our similar outcomes through different ways. That is a rough summary of the first full research report from the Shared Island Initiative , launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Monday. Both parts of Ireland have similar figures on income inequality, for example, but Northern Ireland achieves this more through its benefit system and the Republic more through its tax system. Housing consumes around one-fifth of disposable income in both jurisdictions, representing a great cancelling out of multiple factors. Health services on either side of the Border deliver the same levels of primary and secondary care. However, unmet demand in the North is more about long waits, while in the South it is more about high costs. Will there be a teacher's strike in the autumn? Listen | 45:36 Headlines are made by dramatic differences, not similarities, on closer inspection, so the lack of interest in Monday's announcement is unsurprising. But the record of the Shared Island Initiative is that what starts off dry as dust and condemned by some nationalists for lacking ambition, can then slowly and subtly transform attitudes in ways nationalism has never managed. READ MORE When the initiative was established in 2020, it commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to examine policy differences and the potential for co-operation across the island. Monday's report is an overarching summary of the programme so far. A step change in this work was promised in last November's Fianna Fáil manifesto and adopted in the Coalition's programme for government. It mandates commissioning 'a North-South statistical series and publication to provide comparable data on economic activity, public expenditure and wider social and economic measures, including education, housing and health outcomes'. Monday's report is the start of this new era of authoritative, comparative data. How much authority it acquires remains to be seen – none of this is a precise science – but it has been given the imprimatur of the Taoiseach's office. The stated purpose of the data is not to support any constitutional argument, heaven forbid. It serves two official objectives: learning from policy differences either side of the border; and analysing the extent and potential of cross-Border co-operation. Policy differences are to be studied for useful insight, rather than with any political goal of harmonisation. The ESRI report explains that there is more to learn from your immediate neighbours simply because their experience is more likely to be relevant. It mentions comparative studies between 'the four parts of the UK' as an example. When the United Kingdom embarked on devolution three decades ago, there were hopes it would function as a policy laboratory, with regions learning from each other's different approaches to practical problems. Instead, devolution has become a platform for constitutional arguments, while public services are neglected. The devolved administrations pay scant attention to each other and Westminster believes it has little to learn from any of them. It would be quite an achievement, and quite an irony, if both parts of Ireland did better than the UK at making the policy laboratory work. The clearest lessons to emerge from the ESRI report are that Northern Ireland needs to improve its further education and training. Although children reach the end of school with similar skill levels North and South, too many northerners then leave education with few or no qualifications. Comparison with the Republic reveals the extent to which a handful of poor policy choices are throwing human potential away. [ Shared Island: Cross-Border co-operation should be expanded, ESRI report concludes Opens in new window ] On cross-Border co-operation, the second subject of the report's analysis, the revelation is how little of it takes place. Collaboration on healthcare is mainly confined to specialist initiatives in Border areas. Just 0.6 per cent of students at southern universities are from the North, with a 2.4 per cent figure in the opposite direction. Tourism and energy are the only sectors where all-Ireland co-operation has developed at a significant, strategic level, yet only tourism has the benefit of dedicated North-South structures under the Belfast Agreement. The all-Ireland energy market owes its success to private investment in a highly regulated market. There are other cases where regulation gets in the way, such as the taxation of cross-Border workers. So, although there is plenty of potential for further co-operation, it is not as straightforward as tends to be imagined, or as the Belfast Agreement may appear to envisage. While that will hardly be news to any informed observer, they are now better informed with official facts and figures. Taking ownership of the facts away from unreliable partisans is how a dry report can begin to slowly and subtly transform attitudes. It is easier to have a serious debate on where Northern Ireland and the Republic are going when there is agreement on where they are today. Not that the Shared Island Initiative has any particular destination in mind, of course. Heaven forbid.
Irish Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on cross-border cooperation: analysis need to turn into action
For many years reliable information and analysis comparing Northern Ireland and the Republic was surprisingly sparse. The data and studies were there on both sides of the Border, but rigorous comparative analysis was lacking in many areas and sporadic in others. For this reason, the work undertaken in recent years by the Economic and Social Research Institute(ESRI), funded under the Shared Island Initiative by the Irish Government is both welcome and important. Fact are the best basis for policy. As a summary of the research published yesterday shows, work remains to be done in several areas, but some key conclusions – drawn together from a variety of earlier reports – are clear. The Republic has, in recent years, become a more developed, higher-income economy, partly due to greater levels of foreign direct investment. That said, as the report points out, full comparisons of living standards are tricky. Inequality in earned incomes is greater in the Republic, though a more progressive tax system – and more widespread welfare supports in Northern Ireland – level the playing field for after-tax income. There are a few key messages. One is that the educational system in Northern Ireland requires investment and policy change. Rates of early school leaving in the North are two to three times those in the Republic, and fewer have university qualifications. In turn this has a knock-on impact on lifetime income and on wider economic development. Those who are streamed via the Northern Ireland system into grammar schools seem particularly at risk of leaving school early. READ MORE Under the Belfast Agreement – and in other areas – there is already significant North-South cooperation. But there is clearly room for more. There are, for example, specific areas where the health systems work together on both sides of the Border, but scope for more to be done, with long waiting lists a problem across the island. Barriers to progress in areas such as health, education, the environment and agriculture 'have been primarily political in nature, ' the report says, stemming either from the long periods of suspension of Stormont or 'ingrained political viewpoints.' The latter are a target of the Shared Island Initiative, though whether it can accelerate new policy cooperation remains to be seen. The report points to the constraints under which Stormont operates, with limited fund-raising powers. The North's economy has been given an opportunity under the Windsor Framework to attract new inward investment – but maximising this requires policy and political stability. And there are questions for the Republic, too. The two jurisdictions cooperate well on tourism, for example, but would the Republic do the same on foreign direct investment? On one small island, with diverse offerings to investors, doing so would just be common sense,
The Journal
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Childcare and education among areas needing more cross border co-operation, report says
CROSS BORDER CO-OPERATION in key areas identified by the Good Friday Agreement has not met its full potential, according to a report. The latest ESRI-Shared Island report also identifies a number of areas around employment, childcare, and education. The Good Friday Agreement established a framework for formal cross-border co-operation on the island, creating six North-South bodies under the North South Ministerial Council. The report states: 'Despite successes in a co-operative approach to tourism, progress in other strategic areas such as education, health, agriculture, and the environment has not met its full potential.' It argues there are advantages to 'substantially upscaling North-South co-operation' in these existing strategic areas and expanding the remit of collaboration to skills provision, foreign direct investment, labour market access and energy security. The report identifies areas with policy implications, including much higher rates of early school leaving in Northern Ireland having consequences for access and quality of employment, as well as productivity. There are also differences in take-up of post-secondary qualifications, showing the 'potential to develop further education and training in Northern Ireland as a route to employment'. The report says there is potential for mutual policy learning around the targeting of local areas or schools as a basis for addressing educational disadvantage, as inequality in this area has knock-on consequences for adult life changes including employment and health. There is a need for workforce development in healthcare and housing supply in both jurisdictions, the authors state. There are similar challenges in the 'gendered nature of care' and impacts on employment, with a need for continuing expansion of early years and after-school care on both sides of the border. 'Lone mothers face particular challenges in accessing high-quality employment in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, suggesting the need for appropriate education and training supports as well as childcare.' The latest ESRI report is a synthesis of 15 previous publications under the four-year work programme conducted for the Irish Government's Shared Island Unit. Advertisement The Taoiseach is scheduled to launch the report at an event in Dublin City Centre on Monday where he will deliver a keynote address. Micheal Martin said: 'We need data to inform all-island investment and co-operation priorities, as we build a shared future together on this island. 'The huge untapped potential of all-island co-operation is a major takeaway from the ESRI's overarching report. This reflects the Government's commitments to expand our Shared Island Initiative, so that we bring co-operation to a new level.' Inequalities Other key findings include a widening gap in disposable household income between Ireland and Northern Ireland, at 18.3% higher in the Republic in 2018. Education participation rates are higher in Ireland across nearly all age groups, while early school leaving is more common in Northern Ireland. Life expectancy at birth is two years higher in Ireland than in Northern Ireland, reflecting overall differences in welfare and living standards. Women with children are less likely to be in paid employment than men in both jurisdictions, with higher rates of part-time work and low pay among women. Market income inequality before taxes and benefits is lower in Northern Ireland. In Ireland, the tax system is more important in reducing inequality while in Northern Ireland, means-tested benefits play a stronger role. Overall, inequality in disposable income after tax and transfers is very similar in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Child income poverty rates are higher in Northern Ireland, while child material deprivation is somewhat higher in Ireland. Both regions have similar GP supply and primary healthcare utilisation, with long waits being a common issue in both regions. Ireland has higher levels of unmet needs due to costs. Housing costs represent around 20% of disposable income in both regions, with more extreme boom and bust cycles in Ireland. Satisfaction with the political system and trust in institutions are generally higher in Ireland, though attitudes have been volatile. There is some evidence that younger generations are becoming more disillusioned, particularly in Northern Ireland.
