Dr. Anthony Soares:

On PEACE IV, may I just add some comments about the civic society theme? Of the nine indicators given for that theme, only one makes reference to cross-Border co-operation. Our response to the consultation document makes a recommendation in this regard, and we refer to the recently released reconciliation strategy by the Irish Government. The main policy document referred to throughout the draft PEACE IV programme is the Northern Ireland strategy entitled Together: Building a United Community. This creates an idea that the solution to Northern Ireland issues lies within Northern Ireland alone and does not encourage a North-South outlook. We strongly recommend that the reconciliation strategy be included in the PEACE IV programme.