THE Derry-Belfast-Dublin rail corridor and the North-West Cancer Support Centre are among a dozen projects to benefit from a €377 million Government Shared Island investment package announced this week.
A total of €193 million has been allocated to improve rail connectivity between Derry, Belfast and Dublin, while €3.5 million will support cross-border health initiatives including the North-West Cancer Support Centre, an all-island paediatric metabolic network and enhanced perinatal and paediatric pathology services between 2027 and 2030.
Welcoming the announcement, Donegal Minister of State Charlie McConalogue said the investment would deliver lasting benefits for communities across Donegal and the wider North West.
“The Government has committed €193 million through the Shared Island Fund to boost rail connectivity between Derry, Belfast and Dublin by 2030, increasing line speed, capacity and service resilience in line with the All-Island Strategic Rail Review,” he said.
The investment will be delivered jointly by the Department of Transport and Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure. Plans also include reducing transfer times between the Dublin-Belfast and Belfast-Derry rail lines to between 15 and 20 minutes.
Minister McConalogue said the health investment would directly benefit Donegal patients by expanding cancer support and psychosocial services at the North-West Cancer Support Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital.
“The new support centre will operate on a walk-in basis for patients from both jurisdictions and will coincide with a new partnership agreement between HSE Donegal and the Western Health and Social Care Trust,” he said.
He added that the €377 million package brings total Government investment through the Shared Island Fund beyond €1 billion, marking “a major step forward for all-island cooperation and regional development”.
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