Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the likely timescale for the launch of the PEACE PLUS programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56398/22]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The different PEACE programmes and the INTERREG programme have been extremely beneficial to communities across the Border region, North and South. Not alone have they been beneficial but they have been essential. They have brought economic, social and community development benefits and many of these areas still need that type of investment. I sincerely hope it will be possible to have the new scheme rolled out as soon as possible because many communities and statutory agencies I am working with are preparing plans to draw down funding for worthwhile programmes.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the consistent and personal interest he has taken in the PEACE PLUS programme, which is so important to the Border counties and Northern Ireland. I am pleased that this new cross-Border programme is at its final stage of development as a successor to the EU's INTERREG and peace programmes. With an unprecedented funding allocation of some €1.1 billion, PEACE PLUS will support shared peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the Border counties over the remainder of this decade.

The draft PEACE PLUS programme has been developed by the Special EU Programmes Body, SEUPB, working closely with my Department and the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland, and has been approved by the Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and the North-South Ministerial Council. The draft programme was formally approved and adopted by the European Commission in July 2022. The final required element of programme development is the completion of a financing agreement between the EU, the UK and Ireland in order to formalise respective financial contributions to the new programme. By way of context, this had not been a requirement for previous iterations of the INTERREG and PEACE programmes, as the UK was then an EU member state. Work on this draft agreement is now well advanced. Engagement is ongoing between the three parties in order to finalise the text of the draft agreement over the coming weeks. The agreement will then have to be ratified by the three parties. It is anticipated that this process will be completed in time for the first calls for funding applications under PEACE PLUS to issue during quarter 1 of next year.

I must also commend the programme of pre-development support for PEACE PLUS which is being delivered by the SEUPB. This is ensuring that potential applicants can deliver high-quality applications once funding calls open.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his answer and commend him on his work. He has been driving this programme forward and I thank him for engaging with me so often on this new and exciting PEACE programme that will deliver €1.1 billion in investment across this island, particularly in the Border counties, North and South. I mention some of the suggestions I brought to the Minister on working with the SEUPB, statutory agencies and community groups in my constituency and the Minister has provided for the type of issues we were hoping would be addressed.

I welcome the Minister's statement that the EU has approved the draft programme. Hopefully within a number of weeks it will be possible to put the final stamp of approval on it. I ask the Minister to give us an assurance that the preparatory work that statutory agencies and community groups have been engaged in will be allowed to continue so that no time is lost while we await a final approval in a few weeks' time.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is a crucial point because there is a lot of human capital and a great deal of experience and expertise within the system - the SEUPB and the local authorities - and we need to protect and harness that. I had an opportunity on two occasions earlier this year to visit Northern Ireland and different projects that received funding under INTERREG 5A and PEACE IV. I visited Belfast in March and Derry in June, where I saw up close the transport hub and the Waterside shared village project. There are so many exciting projects in the Border counties, including in Cavan-Monaghan, the constituency the Deputy represents, that will benefit from the programme which has been agreed. The final piece of the jigsaw is the financing agreement and I assure the Deputy that the pre-application support work is continuing. I look forward to final approval of the financing agreement and then a formal launch of this programme whereby it can open up for applications.