Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The extension proposal contains European agricultural guidelines as regards the fund and financial instruments for fisheries guidance funding, increased funding for and focus on reconciliation, more capacity building for groups such as ethnic minorities and Protestant working class communities, continued focus on economic and social projects, specific tourism measures and a continued focus on cross-Border co-operation. This is all as a result of the public consultation process.

My reading of the final part of the draft as recently delivered by Minister Pearson in Northern Ireland on Monday, 7 March, is that it would send a clear signal that the current extension of the PEACE II programme would complete the work and that there might not, therefore, be a successor programme. Our view is that in advance of sending such signals there should first be proper consultations with the stakeholders and given the political aspects of the questions, we imagine these consultations should take the form of Government to Government discussions, and that the views of the European Commission should be sought.

It also highlights the point that successful conclusions to the peace process would be the best way of maintaining the extra goodwill we have had up to now regarding this programme, and everyone should take up that responsibility.

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