Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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82. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the PEACE programme for the next seven years. [27674/20]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The 2014-2020 EU-funded PEACE IV programme is funding 95 projects  in the border counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland under the themes of Shared Education, Children and Young People, Shared Spaces and Services, and Building Positive Relations.  PEACE IV and its sister programme, INTERREG VA, have a total value of €553m and provide valuable support for peace and reconciliation and cross-border cooperation across the region.

Both programmes are progressing well, with funding fully committed and with projects continuing to deliver outputs despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The EU UK Withdrawal Agreement provides for the continuation of the current PEACE and INTERREG programme post-Brexit.

In May 2018, the EU Commission included a special new programme, PEACE PLUS, in its proposals for the Multi-Annual Financial Framework and EU Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 programming period.  PEACE PLUS will continue and build on the work of the current PEACE and INTERREG programmes in support of north south cooperation under the Good Friday Agreement.  Provision for the PEACE PLUS programme is also included in the EU UK Withdrawal Agreement.

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is leading the development of the PEACE PLUS programme, in close cooperation with my Department and the Department of Finance Northern Ireland. SEUPB is also assisted in this by a Programme Development Steering Group, comprising representatives of both governments, as well as representatives from local authority, business, trade union, community / voluntary, environment and equality organisations.