Mr. Shane Campbell:

I will respond on funding. EU funding is vital to the cross-Border region, as everyone here knows. A major consequence of Brexit for the Border region is finding how those funds could be replaced. EU funding has provided that mechanism, carrot and opportunity for stakeholders on both sides of the Border to work together. Cross-Border working, as we know in ICBAN, is extremely difficult. When we add in complexities we will face in future around different funding programmes, the position will be infinitely more difficult than it was in the past given what EU funds enabled. We raised this matter at a meeting a number of months ago with the Minister of Finance in Northern Ireland, Conor Murphy MLA. Going back to the Brexit campaign, UK regional funding was supposed to replace the loss of EU cross-Border funding. As Dr. Farry has stated, it looks like shared prosperity funds from the UK Government will fall far short of that, leaving a deficit in terms of the important infrastructure, investment, etc., we have been talking about in the Border region.

Yesterday, we received notification of joint work looking into transnational INTERREG programmes such as the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme and how these may come together for preparatory funds for 2021 to 2027. We are running two EU projects that have been beneficiaries of transnational INTERREG funds. We do not have an opportunity as it stands to build on those or develop the legacy of those around tourism and immersive technologies. We would like to drive those on, having taken them to this stage. We are elite partner in one project and partner in the other. We are learning a huge amount, bringing significant investment into our region and bringing in learning from the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Finland and Iceland through those programmes. It is a huge loss for us not to have those opportunities in future and to see needs in our area that could be best met by working together on a transnational basis and bringing in other ideas to support our SMEs and communities.

We raised with the Minister of Finance, Mr. Murphy, that both Governments should consider that PEACE PLUS will only be short to medium term. We are thankful we have it as it amounts to an investment of €1 billion. We have shared island funding. What happens after 2027 when there probably or possibly will not be PEACE PLUS funding? Will there be a successor to that? Can the two Governments come together? Do they need to start those considerations now, promoted by this committee and others? How can the two Governments bring their funds and policies together so we do not have back-to-back development and can look at the common issues and needs? Can we find mechanisms and means by which Irish Government funding and Northern Ireland Executive funding can be brought together for infrastructure needs?

However, as Councillor David Maxwell says, the likes of us are not able to avail of any immediate funding streams at the moment for management, co-ordination or promotion of cross-Border working. It is great to see funds for infrastructure but, unfortunately, there are no opportunities between the two Governments or in either of the Governments on the island for something as specific as promoting cross-Border co-operation. What we would love to do - and we will probably do this in the autumn and bring it to the committee - about this question of the national significance of the central Border region is to put that on the map to show the committee the possibilities when we map out greenways, blueways, river catchments, economic corridors, food trails, food tourism opportunities, the A5-N2 and A4-N16 routes and so on to show the assets of our area. I am responding in a way also to what Senator Currie said about how we can promote this region. That is how we can do it. We will do it visually and will probably share that with the committee in the autumn. What is critical, as Dr. Farry says, is the funding opportunities we need to deliver that in the longer term. The €1 billion of PEACE PLUS funding and the shared island funding will not address that. There are pre-existing issues over many years, the challenges of Brexit and Covid and climate change. They will need continued joint work by both Governments. I hope that answers Dr. Farry's question.