4 Jul 2012, 15:20
TheJoint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will tomorrow discuss the delivery of EU funding specifically targeted at Northern Ireland and the border counties. Pat Colgan is Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body, the North South body established under the Good Friday Agreement. He will brief the Committee on the future funding situation of the PEACE and INTERREG programmes.
Pat Colgan is Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body, the North South body established under the Good Friday Agreement. He will brief the Committee on the future funding situation of the PEACE and INTERREG programmes.
Chairman of the Committee Joe McHugh TD says: “Over the past 15 years, thousands of community projects have been supported to foster peace and reconciliation. Co-funded by the European Commission, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, €600m is being delivered in the current round of the programme between 2007 and 2013.
“In difficult economic times where budgets everywhere are coming under increasing pressure, our Committee looks forward to exploring with Mr Colgan how current funding is being applied to positive effect and how it can be sustained into the future.”
The Committee will also meet with Shirley Graham of Hanna’s House. A cross-border feminist peace initiative, Hanna’s House works to promote a feminist analysis of peace-building and to increase the involvement of women in the post-conflict peace-building process.
Deputy McHugh continues: “The Committee looks forward to meeting Ms Graham to discuss UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and its implementation on the island of Ireland, North and South. The Resolution requires that women play a central role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.”
The meeting commences with Ms Graham’s presentation tomorrow morning at 11:15 am in Committee Room 4, LH 2000. Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://bit.ly/24YmPI
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Ends
For further information please contact:
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paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Members of the Committee:
Deputies Seán Conlan, Seán Crowe, Clare Daly, Regina Doherty, Peter Fitzpatrick, Frank Feighan, Martin Ferris, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Dominic Hannigan, Michael P. Kitt, Joe McHugh, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Joe O’Reilly, Brendan Smith and Joanna Tuffy.
Senators Jim D’Arcy, Maurice Cummins, Martin McAleese, Mary Moran, Mary White.
Chairman: Joe McHugh, TD Vice-Chairman: Joe O'Reilly, TD