Written answers

Thursday, 4 November 2021

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Cross-Border Co-operation

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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258. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of the cross-Border Project Ireland 2040 infrastructure projects and the funding allocated for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [53850/21]

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As stated in the recently published revised National Development Plan, a total of €500 million in exchequer funding has been allocated to the Shared Ireland Fund to support the development of cross-border infrastructure investment and research and development. For the years 2021 to 2023, Table 4.2 on page 44 of the plan provides an annual breakdown of the funding allocations and the following table sets out the annual allocations as requested.

2021 2022 2023
Vote Capital (€m) Capital (€m) Capital (€m)
Shared Island Fund 50 50 100

In addition to the substantial exchequer funding, Chapter 17 of the National Development Plan, 'A Shared Island', details the range of funding sources and priorities for the upcoming decade. For 2021-2030, there is a total all-island investment commitment of more than €3.5 billion through the Shared Island Fund, the Government’s annual funding for North/South cooperation and the PEACE PLUS programme delivered with the EU, UK and Northern Ireland Executive.

As set out in the NDP, individual investment projects are selected by Departments or Agencies based on sectoral strategy and goals, and appropriate options are assessed in line with the Public Spending Code. In all cases, the allocation of resources is subject to planning approval and compliance with all other applicable environmental law, regulatory and public expenditure requirements for the project concerned.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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259. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of his Department’s current cross-Border initiatives, goods and or services committed to and the funding allocated to each for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [53868/21]

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Over the 2021-23 period, my Department will have ongoing Member State responsibility for two 2014-20 EU-funded North South cross-border programmes, INTERREG VA and PEACE IV, with a combined value of €553m. Member State responsibility for both programmes is shared with the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. Management of the programmes is the responsibility of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), (a North South Implementation Body established under the Good Friday agreement), and under the joint sponsorship of my Department and the Department of Finance Northern Ireland. While both programmes are for the 2014-20 programming period, activity will continue on both out to a normal closure date of 2023-24. The INTERREG VA programme has a total value of €283m and the PEACE IV programme has a total value of €270m. Funding on programmes is now fully committed.

My Department will also have joint Member State responsibility during the 2021-23 period for the new PEACE PLUS cross-border EU programme. While a financing agreement for the new programme is still being finalised between Ireland, the UK and the EU, PEACE PLUS is expected to have a total value of c. €1.145bn. As with the current PEACE and INTERREG programmes, the new programme will be managed by the SEUPB. The draft PEACE PLUS programme has recently been approved by Government, as well as by the Northern Ireland Executive and the North South Ministerial Council, and will shortly be submitted to the European Commission for its consideration and final approval. The total funding allocations for all three cross-border programmes are set out in tabular form below.

Programme INTERREG VA (2014-20) PEACE IV (2014-20) PEACE PLUS (2021-27)
Total Funding €283m €270m c. €1.145bn

I note that the Deputy has addressed the same question to all other Ministers, who will doubtless provide details of a series of other important cross-Border funding initiatives underway for this period under the aegis of their own Departments, including in relation to commitments under the New Decade, New Approach agreement, under Project Ireland 2040 and the Shared Island Fund.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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260. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of the cross-Border Project Ireland 2040 infrastructure projects and the funding allocated for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [53854/21]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The National Development Plan (NDP) is a high-level financial and budgetary plan, which sets out the framework and broad direction for investment priorities over the period 2021 to 2030. Under the recently announced National Development Plan, over €1 billion in capital expenditure has been allocated to my Department between 2021 and 2025.

My Department’s capital investment is centred on three high level objectives for the Department’s sectors:

- to promote Economic Recovery and Resilience

- to support Wellbeing and Social Cohesion

- to enhance Sustainability in its sectors and Guardianship of our unique cultural, linguistic and sporting heritage

My Department is progressing a range cross-border initiatives, including supporting the work of two cross-border bodies, namely Tourism Ireland and An Foras Teanga.

Over the lifetime of this plan, the Department will continue to work with Tourism Ireland and other partners to enhance all-island tourism and support the development of an all-island tourism product, and to promote the recovery of the sector following the pandemic. This will include working with the Executive on large scale North-South tourism initiatives which support the sustainable growth of the sector including cross-border walking/cycling trails as well as new marketing opportunities.

In co-operation with Sport Ireland, the Department is exploring the potential for new all-island sporting competitions, and opportunities to make Ireland-Northern Ireland and Ireland-UK bids for major international sporting events, including the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Additionally, under the NDP, the Government has committed to allocate ring-fenced, multi-annual capital resourcing for all-island investment out to 2030, at least at the current level of the Shared Island Fund. The Shared Island Fund is allocated by Government to Departments on the basis of approved collaborative North/South projects that implement Programme for Government commitments and objectives on Shared Island.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of her Department’s current cross-Border initiatives, goods and or services committed to and the funding allocated to each for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [53872/21]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department has responsibility for two of the North-South Bodies Implementation Bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement: (www.tourismireland.com/) and An Foras Teanga / the Language Body (www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/bc346-an-foras-teanga/). Details for the funding of these bodies for 2021 is available in the Revised Estimates Volume 2021.

In addition to the above, my Department provides support for a number of cross-border projects and also projects and initiatives which have a cross-border element and details of those programmes are outlined in the table below.

Other than as specified details of funding allocations for 2022 and 2023 are not currently available and will be announced in due course.

Cross Border Initiatives Funding 2021
In 2021, 13 projects received support under the Cooperation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme which provides support, for small self-contained projects which seek to enhance, celebrate or commemorate the artistic, cultural, musical, film or heritage of the island of Ireland on a North/South basis €147,500
As set out below a number of local authorities have utilised funding allocated under the Creative Communities initiative to support cross-border initiatives with their counterparts in Northern Ireland:

- Monaghan County Council – Bordering Realities – Digital Animation Project



- Donegal County Council – Colmcille 1500 Digital Schools Folklore Project



- Meath County Council – Colmcille 1500 Digital Animation project



- Cavan County Council - Beyond Borders Together Online
Details of final funding allocations will not be available until year end
Under the Community Strand of the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Programme (decadeofcentenaries.com), funding of €1.94m was allocated to local authorities in 2021 to support their leading role in developing community-led, commemorative activities. A number of local authorities have engaged in cross-border initiatives. Under the Historical and Creative Expression Strands of the Programme , €29,800 has been allocated to the Gallery of Photography under the theme: Reflecting on the Past Building for the Future for two initiatives with a cross-border element including:

- National Centenaries Image Bank 2021 – 2023;



- Cherish diversity: Photo Album of the Irish (Ulster), marking the Centenary of Partition

Under Project Ireland 2040, funding of €2.5m was allocated in 2019 to the Beyond 2022: Ireland’s Virtual Record Treasury research project to the end of 2022. This project, which is led by Trinity College Dublin, will lead to an open-access, fully immersive, 3D virtual reality model of the digitally reconstructed Public Record Office of Ireland to be launched in 2022 to mark the centenary of the fire that destroyed the Public Record Office in the opening engagement of the Civil War. The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is one of 5 core archival project partners.

- Beyond 2022 - Ireland’s Virtual Record Treasury project.
Details of funding allocations will not be available until year end.

€12,000

€17,800



€790,000

Under the New Decade New Approach Agreement (NDNA) €1.2m is to be provided for the promotion of Irish Language broadcasting in Northern Ireland each year for the period 2021-2023. €1m is being provided to the Irish Language Broadcast Fund administered by Northern Ireland Screen for content production and €100,000 each to RT? and TG4 for the promotion of the Irish Language in Northern Ireland. €1.2m

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