McNulty Welcomes Irish Government's Shared Island Commitment

The Irish Government’s Programme for Government has been welcomed by local MLA Justin McNulty who has praised the commitment of over €1bn to the Shared Island Unit.

Commenting on the Government's plans the Newry and Armagh MLA said: “The Programme for Government reflects many of the asks we in the SDLP put to parties in the South ahead of the recent election and I welcome their positive engagement and reflection of our proposals around a skills task force, cross-border cooperation on the environment, addressing the issues around our waterways and the access to Erasmus for students in the North.

“The commitment of over €1bn through an enhanced Shared Island Unit that our party helped to shape will be particularly welcome given the difficult financial situation facing the Executive, and the number of key infrastructure projects hanging in the balance. All too often we have seen the Irish Government have to step up where the Executive has failed to deliver.

“Further pledges to help deliver the A5, improve rail and air connectivity, focusing on collaboration between our health services and supporting legacy investigations will make a real difference to the lives of people on both sides of the border. Acknowledgement of a need to enhance East-West relations is also a positive step.

“The decision by the government to establish a John Hume Fund will be warmly received across the North and particularly within our party. It is a fitting tribute to the legacy of John, who saw the European Union as an important way to bring people together in a shared forum.

“The SDLP looks forward to working with the incoming government on areas of collaboration and mutual interest for people across Ireland. We will also continue our engagement work with every party in the South as part of our efforts to build a consensus for a new and prosperous Ireland. The Irish Government has a leading role to play in that discussion and we will continue to press them for progress when it comes to strategic planning. It is not enough to pay lip service to the idea of new Ireland, we need to see it backed up with practical action and a framework for political discussion to move things forward.”