Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has had discussions with the British Government and with the European Commission on the need to ensure the continuation of funding for cross-Border projects post-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21055/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland and Northern Ireland are currently partners in two EU-funded cross-border Cooperation Programmes, PEACE and INTERREG, with a total value of €550 million over the period 2014-2020. These programmes are 85% funded by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the European Union's Cohesion Policy.

The Irish Government remains firmly committed to the successful implementation of the current programmes and to successor programmes post-2020.

Work on this objective commenced as soon as the outcome of the UK referendum on EU membership was known. Shortly after the referendum I met the then Finance Minister in Northern Ireland, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, and we agreed to write to the EU’s Regional Policy Commissioner, Corina Crețu, to highlight the importance we attach to the programmes. I subsequently raised the programmes at the Cohesion General Affairs Council and met Commissioner Crețu to discuss them. Throughout this period my officials have also been engaging with their European Commission counterparts.

I was pleased, therefore, that the Irish Government's ambitions for the programmes were reflected in December's EU-UK Joint Report on Brexit in which both parties undertake to honour their commitments to the two programmes under the current MFF and to examine the possibilities for future support favourably.

I am also pleased that the Commission has now brought forward proposals for future programmes in its proposals for the EU budget post-2020. My officials and I will continue to work with the Commission and our EU partners to ensure the continuation of these important programmes post-2020. The future of these EU-funded programmes are part of the ongoing work of the Barnier Task Force, and negotiations with the UK will take place in that context.