Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 May 2012
270 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cross-Border programmes, initiatives and areas of co-operation which his Department is currently engaging in with its counterparts in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21870/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are two EU cross-border Programmes specifically focused on the border counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These are the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE) and the INTERREG Programme. The current PEACE III Programme (2007-2013) has a total allocation of 333m euro and INTERREG IVA (2007-2013) has an allocation of 256m euro. Both Programmes are co-funded by the EU Commission, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. The INTERREG Programme also receives some funding from Scottish partners, as parts of western Scotland are covered by the Programme. The Programmes are managed by Special EU Programmes Body, a North South body established under the Good Friday Agreement and sponsored jointly by my Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland.
The Programme for Peace and Reconciliation was created in order to build a more peaceful and stable society across the region. Over the past 15 years, thousands of individual projects, all working towards this objective, have been supported under the programme. The INTERREG IVA Programme aims to foster a more prosperous and sustainable region. It builds on the success of previous programmes and supports beneficial collaborations in a range of areas such as tourism, enterprise, environment, rural development and health. My Department, and other Irish Departments, work and co-operate with northern counterparts on an ongoing basis. The Government continues to work for greater economic co-operation to accelerate the process of recovery and creation of jobs on this island.
