The Shared Island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach is progressing a wide-ranging research programme to examine the political, social, economic and cultural considerations of a shared future for all communities and traditions on the island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
Deepening beneficial all-island cooperation and enhancing civic connections and understanding are key areas of focus. North/ South and East/West partnership is central to the approach.
The programme is providing both a stronger evidence-base along with a rigorous analysis to inform inclusive civic and political discussion on a shared future on the island of Ireland.
To date, more than 30 reports have been published as part of the programme.
The Shared Island unit is progressing a research partnership with the Economic and Social Research Institute - 'The Economic and Social Opportunities from Increased Cooperation on the Shared Island'. The programme produces research outputs which add to understanding of current and potential linkages across the island of Ireland in a range of economic, social and environmental domains.
The 2023 programme of research examined student mobility, gender and labour market inclusion, social attitudes and housing supply across the island of Ireland.
The 2024 programme includes research examining the drivers of income inequality in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and child poverty, as well as an overview of the Irish and Northern Irish economies, and a report synthesising findings from across the ESRI-Shared Island research programme (final reports for these topics will be published in the coming months).
Child Poverty on the island of Ireland On 16 January 2025, the ESRI published research comparing child poverty in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Using a mixed-methods approach with harmonised national survey data, as well as consultations with stakeholders, it finds that throughout 2004-2023, child income poverty levels were somewhat higher in Northern Ireland, while child material deprivation rates were higher in Ireland for most of the period examined (2010-2023), and at a comparable level in 2023. The report highlights the range of welfare, educational, and labour market supports that impact and are needed to address child poverty in both jurisdictions. The final research is available here and the launch webinar is available here.
Drivers of Income Inequality in Ireland and Northern Ireland On 18 October 2024, the ESRI published research identifying the drivers of income inequality in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Drawing on 2019 data, the research finds that differences in inequality in market, or pre-tax and transfer income, in the two jurisdictions are driven by two counteracting forces. The final research is available here and the launch webinar is available here.
Gender and Labour Market Inclusion on the island of Ireland On 10 April 2024, the ESRI published research on Gender and Labour Market Inclusion on the island of Ireland, drawing on a consultation with key stakeholders and analysis of labour force survey data to identify the barriers and opportunities to women’s participation on the island. In both jurisdictions, it explores the impact of policies, education, demographic characteristics, household types, sectors, and attitudes on the participation and conditions of women and men in the labour market. The final research is available here.
Contrasting Housing Supply in Ireland and Northern Ireland In January 2024, the ESRI published research examining the Irish, Northern Irish, Welsh, Scottish, and English residential markets with a particular focus on their capacity to increase housing supply over the short to medium term. The research compares and contrasts how differences across the housing markets, in key costs of production, the regulatory environment and economic dynamics, have impacted the supply of housing. The final research is available here.
Social and political attitudes in Ireland and Northern Ireland In November 2023, the ESRI published research on social and political attitudes in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This research compares attitudes such as trust in institutions and trust in other people; attitudes to inequality; and political attitudes, specifically - satisfaction with democracy; political voice; and expectations for the future. The final research is available here and the launch webinar is available here.
Student Mobility in Ireland and Northern Ireland In September 2023, the ESRI published research on Student Mobility across the island. This research looked at the extent of student mobility in higher education between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The study drew on administrative data, qualitative interviews with stakeholders and a consultation with policymakers to document the nature of current mobility patterns between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The final research is available here.
In previous years, the ESRI-Shared Island research programme focused on cross-border services trade; enhancing attractiveness to high-value foreign direct investment across the island of Ireland; primary care systems North and South; education and training systems; productivity levels on the island of Ireland; renewable energy supports; early childhood care and education on the island of Ireland and migrant integration on the island of Ireland.
The National Economic and Social Council, at the request of the Department of the Taoiseach, undertook a programme of research in 2021 to produce a comprehensive report on Shared Island issues for the Government, to inform the development of the Shared Island Initiative as a whole of Government priority. The report Shared Island: Shared Opportunity was launched in April 2022. This report can be viewed here.
The report makes 3 overarching conclusions:
- First, there is very significant support, in practice, for an all-island approach to key economic, social, environmental, and wellbeing challenges.
- Second, climate change and biodiversity loss provide a clear and urgent platform for ambitious all-island action and collaboration.
- Third, the factors which are shaping current and future collaboration are a shared agenda, resources, political certainty and support, legislative and regulatory coherence, and collaborative projects.
The report makes specific recommendations across five key areas in relation to the economy and investment, social policy, climate and biodiversity, wellbeing measurement and data co-ordination.
The Government will positively consider NESC’s recommendations, consulting with the Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government on the identified opportunities to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on the island of Ireland, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
More information on the NESC work and publications to date on Shared Island can be viewed here.
On 14 April 2021, the Irish Research Council (IRC), in partnership with the Department of the Taoiseach, opened the first call for applications for academic research related to the Government’s Shared Island Initiative.
Eleven awards, with a maximum value of €20,000 each, were made under the New Foundations programme, funded by the Shared Island unit of the Department of the Taoiseach.
On 10 May 2022, a further call opened and eight awards were made, again with a maximum value of €20,000 each.
The approved projects will contribute new knowledge or perspectives to inform the Government’s objectives and commitments on a Shared Island and involve North/South, East/West or relevant international collaboration.
The Shared Island unit partnered with the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS), on a call for research undertaken over 2021-2023.
The SCoTENS - Shared Island research partnership funded five projects on teacher education, across two areas:
- Enhancing educational attainment: sharing experience and learning on a shared island.
- How we teach: acknowledging, understanding and learning with others and from others on a shared island.
This research will contribute to enhanced understanding and inform professional and policy development considerations on a shared island basis.
All five projects have now been published:
BUDDIES – BUilding BriDges, Diminishing Educational DiSadvantage (October 2022).
SHARED – Student Hopes: Achievement, Research, Equity and Diversity (October 2022).
SRASI – Shared Responsibility Across a Shared Island: Teaching social justice in initial teacher education (October 2023).
CRiTERiA – Cultural Responsivity in Teacher Education Research in Action (October 2024).
EDUCATE - Educating about Difference Uniting Classrooms and Teacher Education (November 2024).
You can read about each of these projects here.
The Shared Island unit commissioned independent scoping research by Professor Deirdre Heenan on Collaborating on Healthcare on an All-Island Basis, a discussion paper contribution for the Shared Island Dialogue on Health, Working together for a healthier island held on 8 July 2021.
The Shared Island Unit has also co-funded research with the Department of Defence on ‘Advancing a Focused Cross-Border Approach to Public Service Messaging in Emergency Management’, which was published in June 2024 and is available here. Further work on ‘Communicating for Impact: Public Safety Messaging for Border Communities’ and ‘Advancing a Focused All-Island and Cross-Border Approach to Planning for Recovery in Strategic Emergency Management’, is expected to be completed in 2025.
Updates on further work commissioned as part of the Shared Island research programme will be provided here.