Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he and his Department are concerned regarding future investment on PEACE projects in Northern Ireland and as a result of the Brexit result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26579/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The outcome of the UK Referendum on EU membership will obviously have implications not only for the EU-funded PEACE Programme, but also its sister INTERREG Programme.  Together the two Programmes have a total value of more than half a billion Euro over the period 2014-2020, with 85% of the funding coming from the EU.

As part of our contingency planning, my Department had identified the implications of Brexit for the two programmes as being an issue that would have to be addressed in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive and the European Commission.  That process commenced immediately following the result of the referendum.  The matter was also discussed at the Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council which took place in Dublin Castle on 4 July 2016, and at a Sectoral meeting for the Special EU Programmes Body which took place in Iveagh House on 7 July 2016.  When I met Minister Ó Muilleoir in Iveagh House he agreed to my suggestion that we write jointly to the EU Regional Policy Commissioner, Corina Cretu, and my officials are continuing to work with their Northern Ireland counterparts and the Commission to establish the basis on which the programmes can continue to be implemented.

While there are complex financial, technical and legal issues that need to be worked through, I would like to assure the Deputy of the Government's commitment to the successful implementation of the programmes.