Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The International Fund for Ireland is an international organisation established by the Irish and British Governments in 1986 to promote economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between Nationalists and Unionists throughout Northern Ireland. Since 1986, the fund has received international contributions from the United States, the European Union, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. At present, the EU and US contribute all of the funding.

The issue of winding up the fund is dealt with in Article 14 of the agreement which states: "The Agreement shall continue in force until terminated by mutual agreement or by one Government giving the other six months' written notice, and thereafter shall remain in force for as long as and to the extent necessary for an orderly disposal of any remaining assets of the Fund in accordance with the spirit of the Agreement in full consultation with the donors."

When the International Fund for Ireland, IFI, board adopted its strategic framework for action for the period 2006 to 2010, it indicated to donors that it would no longer be seeking funds after 2010. Existing funding for the IFI would see it bringing its current programmes to a close by the end of 2013.

Following detailed analysis undertaken by the IFI in 2010, however, the board reached the conclusion that there was much work yet to be done to pursue reconciliation, especially in so-called hard–to-reach communities in Northern Ireland. I agree with the board's analysis. I have no doubt that real challenges remain to be addressed and that the IFI is well-equipped to play an important role in addressing those challenges.

For that reason and with the support of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive, the former Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, raised the possibility of further United States funding for the IFI in meetings in Washington last year with Secretary of State Clinton and other political leaders on Capitol Hill.

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