Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 October 2022
116. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total funding available for the PEACE PLUS Programme; when this programme will become operational; when community groups and statutory agencies will be able to submit applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48297/22]
View answerThe new 2021-27 PEACEPLUS cross-border EU programme has a total funding package of some €1.1bn. I am very pleased to note that this represents an unprecedented financial investment in support of shared peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland – double the combined value of the outgoing 2014-20 INTERREG and PEACE programmes.
The draft PEACEPLUS programme has been developed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), working in close cooperation with my Department and with the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland, and is now at its final stage of development. Having been approved by Government, by the Northern Ireland Executive and by the North South Ministerial Council during the autumn of 2021, the draft programme was formally approved and adopted by the European Commission in July 2022.
Work is now ongoing to finalise the Financing Agreement between the EU, the UK and Ireland which is required for PEACEPLUS. It is anticipated that this process will be completed in sufficient time to allow for the first funding calls under PEACEPLUS to open for application before the end of 2022.
However, even in advance of this, the importance of this funding reaching the ground as rapidly as possible is clearly recognised by all parties involved in the development of the new programme. On this basis, a programme of pre-development support is currently being implemented by the SEUPB. This will assist potential applicants under PEACEPLUS to deliver high quality applications once funding calls open. Work is also ongoing to establish and convene a Programme Monitoring Committee for PEACEPLUS in order to approve programme rules, as well as the first draft funding calls for the new programme.
These steps will ensure that PEACEPLUS can open for funding applications at the earliest possible stage over the months ahead, following completion of a Financing Agreement for the programme.
