Today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will sign off on €50 million in funding for a variety of North-South initiatives, including a significant investment to expand cross-border education at Ulster University’s Derry campus.
The Department of Further & Higher Education will provide approximately €45 million (£38.4 million) for the construction of a new teaching and student services facility on the Derry campus.
New lecture and seminar rooms, computer laboratories, and student services will be included. The expansion will also free up space in other buildings for educational purposes.
It will foster cross-border education in the region and support teaching and research between Ulster University and Atlantic Technological University-Donegal.
Ulster University proposes a 6,500-student Derry campus with the new building.
The development also fulfills the Irish government’s commitment to invest in the Derry campus under the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
As part of Dublin’s Shared Island initiative, a new Youth Forum will be established later this year, bringing together up to 80 young people from across the border to discuss their vision and values for a shared future on the island.
Included in the funding for other initiatives is a new therapeutic and respite center for children with illness and their families from the entire island of Ireland.
This year, there will also be investments in two new bio-economy demonstrator facilities for the island’s agriculture and marine sectors, as well as funding to complete the Narrow Water Bridge project’s bidding process.
In an unprecedented move following Stormont budget cutbacks, Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly granted financing for 250 student nursing and midwifery positions in Northern Ireland earlier this month.
The €10 million investment will result in 200 undergraduate positions for students from the Republic and 50 undergraduate positions for students from Northern Ireland.