Written answers

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Cross-Border Co-operation

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the nature and outcomes of north-south cooperation which is facilitated through the Special EU Programmes Body. [54371/12]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the nature and outcomes of north-south cooperation which is undertaken through EU co-funded cross border programmes, PEACE III and Interreg IVA. [54372/12]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the process, nature and outcomes of north-south cooperation which is facilitated through the Special EU Programmes Body, including the nature, frequency and outcomes of coordination between his Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland. [54377/12]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the process, nature and outcomes of north-south cooperation which is facilitated through EU co-funded cross border programmes, PEACE III and InterReg IVA, including the nature, frequency and outcomes of coordination between his Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland. [54378/12]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update regarding the management and implementation of the PEACE III and Interreg IVA programmes and the planning for the new round of funding for the 2014-2020 period. [54379/12]

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 233, 234 and 247 to 249, inclusive, together.

The Special EU Programmes Body, a North South Body established under the Good Friday Agreement, is responsible for the management and implementation of the PEACE III and Interreg IVA cross-border EU co-funded Programmes. My Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland work closely together in their roles as joint sponsor Departments of the Special EU Programmes Body and as the Departments having member state responsibility for the PEACE III and Interreg IVA Programmes, with regular contact, generally on a daily basis.

The PEACE III Programme (2007-2013) is a €333m cross-border programme co-funded by the European Union. Its aim is to promote reconciliation and to help to build a more peaceful and stable society in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland. It funds a wide range of projects from small activities funded under Local Area Peace Plans to the iconic Peace Bridge over the River Foyle.

The Interreg IVA Programme (2007-2013) is a €256m cross-border programme co-funded by the EU Union. The Programme aims to promote economic and social well-being in the eligible region, Northern Ireland, the border counties of Ireland and parts of western Scotland. The Programme encompasses projects in the enterprise, tourism, health, rural development, public sector collaboration, energy, information and communications technology, energy and transport sectors.

The Special EU Programmes Body anticipates that both Programmes will be fully committed by the end of the year. Both Programmes are overseen by Progamme Management Committees, comprised of government departments, local representatives, community and voluntary sector and social partners. The work of the Programme Monitoring Committees includes monitoring and evaluation of the PEACE III and INTERREG IVA Programmes and independent evaluations are commissioned for this purpose, on an ex-ante, mid term and ex-post basis.

My Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel have asked the SEUPB to begin the process of preparing programme proposals for the 2014-2020 round of EU programmes. We have asked the SEUPB to conduct this work on the assumption that there would be a successor programme for both PEACE and Interreg. I would stress that discussions on new EU programmes and funding are ongoing in Brussels in the context of the negotiation of the Multiannual Financial Framework and that final decisions have not yet been made. The Irish Government remains committed to a new PEACE Programme, however.

The programme preparation process has begun with a consultation process, including public consultation events organised by SEUPB across the eligible region. Under the guidance of a programme development steering committee representing government departments, local representatives and social partners, the SEUPB will draft programme proposals and a further consultation period will then commence.

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