Derry flights and Newry theatre get a share of €50m Dublin funding

Micheál Martin announced the funding on Tuesday mporning

The Irish government is investing €2m (£1.76m) to get flights from Dublin to Londonderry up and running next year.

It announced over €50m (£44m) worth of funding for projects as part of the Shared Island initiative.

The initiative, headed by Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin, aims to strengthen economies on both sides of the border.

The Irish government has now doubled its spending commitment through the fund, allocating it €2bn (£1.76bn) until 2035.

The flight route will start next year for a defined period and be reviewed after two years.

It will be funded under a Public Service Obligation (PSO), where a government support flights which would not otherwise be commercially viable.

It will initially be resourced through the Shared Island Fund as a "public service obligation" air service.

A previous daily service between City of Derry Airport and Dublin, funded by the Irish government, was withdrawn in 2011.

The Irish government hopes the air service will improve connectivity to the north west of the island while the A5 corridor is being worked on.

The government is also investing €5.9m (£5.2m) into developing cross-border emergency services, focused on flooding and technical rescue operations.

The Shared Island funding announcement includes:

• €14m for major new Shared Island Media initiative

• €5.9m to develop cross-border emergency management capacity on flood response and technical rescue operations

• €6m for the new Shared Home Place programme

• €14.5m for an expanded Creative Ireland-Shared Island programme and for Arts projects

• €2m to enable a new Dublin-Derry air service

• €2m for a new Shared Island Greenways Development Fund

• €6.4m for cross-border pilot regional cooperation programme on tackling Bovine TB

• €2.3m for commercialising research

• €1.8m to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

• €1m for the Cross-Border Partnership for Employment Services

'Strengthen co-operation'

The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) will "strengthen their co-operation" with investment from the fund.

This will see expanded training facilities, investing in rescue training equipment and more resources put into flood containment.

Joint training by fire and emergency services will also take place on both sides of the border.

Some €14.5m (£12.8m) will be allocated for arts projects from 2026 and 2028.

This includes the Irish Department of Culture, Communications and Sport carrying out an assessment of a proposed capital funding contribution towards the building of Newry Theatre.

A previous service between City of Derry Airport and Dublin was axed in 2011

A spokeswoman for Derry City and Strabane District Council, owners of City of Derry airport, said the PSO route to Dublin "represents a strategic opportunity for us to strengthen links, improve access for business and tourism".

"This service when it is operational will significantly enhance regional connectivity, support economic growth and promote balanced regional development," she said.

'Roads aren't great, rail almost absent and airport struggling'

Steve Bradley says the air route is to be welcomed

Steve Bradley, from the Into The West lobby group, said any improvement to the region's connectivity is to be welcomed.

"Our roads aren't great, our rail almost absent and our airport is struggling. Anything that adds to the options to our airport are to be welcomed – it is kind of symbolic how bad infrastructure in the north west is that we need an aeroplane to get us on a 140 mile journey," he told BBC Radio Foyle.

Newry theatre plan could now be fast tracked

The Irish government intervention could now speed up plans for Newry's theatre

Cormac Campbell, BBC News NI south-east reporter

Among the projects highlighted in Tuesday's announcement is the construction of the new Newry Theatre.

In a nutshell it would see the demolition and rebuilding of the city's existing Arts centre, the refurbishment of the adjacent Town Hall and the linking of the two.

This is a project that has been developed over a number of years and is part of a wider city regeneration scheme linked to the local council, the Executive and the Belfast region city deal.

Part of that wider plan also includes the development of a new Civic Centre - objections to which have slowed down the delivery of the more popular theatre scheme.

Indeed, the project's website states that building work was due to begin in summer 2025, a target that has now passed.

It's thought that the Irish government intervention could allow the decoupling of the theatre plan from the Civic Centre, thus fast tracking building work.

Although no exact amount has been attached to the Irish government's commitment it's thought to be in the region of just under €5m.

'Surprise and delight' at the news

Sean Treanor says people are delighted by the news

Sean Treanor, of Newpoint Players, told BBC News NI that since the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre closed its doors five and a half years ago drama groups in the city, like theirs, have had to "beg" to secure practice and performance space.

"The project was first mooted before Covid and then the Arts centre never reopened after that," he said.

"All the arts groups have had to be resourceful and I find myself begging rehearsal space off my football club.

"The local Fèis had to set up temporary accommodation over at the Quays [Shopping Centre] and they have 14,000 performances over 44 days."

Mr Treanor said the announcement has been a long time coming.

"We've had to be patient over a very long period of time and patience has been exhausted," he said.

"There have been so many false dawns for us so there is surprise and delight at today's news."

Tackling Bovine TB

Tuesday's announcement also features a €6.4m (£5.64m) investment for a cross-border pilot regional cooperation programme on tackling Bovine TB.

This project will be undertaken by the Irish Agriculture Minister and his Northern Ireland counterpart to tackle bovine TB and see implementation of measures on a coordinated regional basis until the end of the decade.

"This is the Shared Island Initiative in action - working with ambition to establish greater connectivity, deepen co-operation and strengthen island-wide community understanding - to create a shared future together," said Martin.

"Those communities will bring a unique and an important perspective to the exploration of our shared island of the past, present and future, shaped by their own immigrant experiences," said Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris.