Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2016
451. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the European Union contribution factored into the capital plan and the amount of this funding which relates to cross-Border initiates such as INTERREG or Peace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21058/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraBuilding on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2020 includes commitments to investing in infrastructure to support North South cooperation to help unlock the full potential of the island economy. These commitments are consistent with those set out in A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan.
As regards EU funding, the Deputy will be aware that the Irish Government was successful in securing agreement for €150 million of EU funding towards a new cross-border PEACE Programme for the period 2014-2020. The focus of the PEACE IV programme is on social inclusion and combatting poverty, with investment proposed in a number of areas, including shared education, children and young people, shared spaces and services, and building positive relations at a local level. The total value of the programme is €269 million, of which €229 is provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The new INTERREG Programme for the period 2014-2020 has a total value of €283, including €240 of ERDF funding. The INTERREG Programme has four priority areas for investment, namely research and innovation, the environment, sustainable transport, and health.
As provided for in A Fresh Start, a group of senior officials from the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government is meeting regularly to maintain a strategic overview of economic and infrastructure investment. In that context they are considering opportunities for sourcing further investment for all-island infrastructure projects for mutual benefit, including through PPPs, EU funding and other non-Exchequer sources.
