Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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219. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the source of the core funding for the operation of the North West Strategic Growth Partnership; the way that it is structured; and the details of the recurring funds. [4104/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The November 2015 Fresh Start Agreementreaffirmed a commitment of the Irish Government to support the regional development work of the North West Gateway Initiative involving Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council. The Agreement also made a commitment to establish a North West Development Fund and for the Irish Government to provide €2.5 million to the Fund, to be complemented by matching funding from the Northern Ireland Executive. The initial Irish Government contribution of €2.5 million, from the Department of Foreign Affairs, was transferred to Derry City and Strabane District Council in December 2015.

Operated jointly by Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council, the Fund is used to support three main pillars in the North West: Regional Economic Growth, Regional Physical Development and Regional Social and Community Well-Being. It is not intended for capital projects; rather it is intended to animate proposals, business cases and processes that are strategically relevant for the overall health and growth of the North West region.

The Fund has been established under the principle of subsidiarity and ‘place-based leadership’, that decisions for the region are best made locally and that spend priorities will be identified and agreed between the two Councils.

In line with a condition of the transfer of Government funding in December 2015, the Fund is subject to full audit and governance arrangements, under a Partnership Agreement between the two regional Councils, who operate the Fund. A Terms of Reference covers all relevant aspects of Fund management, including annual monitoring, expenditure and approval limits, delegated authority and all associated legal, financial and equality implications.

Individual projects are assessed, monitored and managed by officials from Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council and progress against key performance indicators is reported to the North West Strategic Growth Partnership, which brings together senior Government officials from relevant Departments North and South, the CEOs of both Councils, and other stakeholders to deliver on the strategic priorities. Officials from the Joint Secretariat of the North South Ministerial Council also continue to attend meetings of the North West Strategic Growth Partnership.

The North West Development Fund has delivered on a range of initiatives including joint research on the impact of Brexit on the North West region, joint trade missions and greenway projects.

As part of the New Decade, New Approachagreement in January 2020 the Irish Government committed to continue its support for the work of the North West Strategic Growth Partnership and in principle to provide further funding to the North West Development Fund in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Executive.

Reflecting this commitment, in October 2021 the Irish Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, contributed an additional allocation of €1 million to the North West Development Fund. This allocation is intended to supplement the original allocation of €2.5 million provided by the Irish Government in 2015, to facilitate the extension of the current phase of the Fund in accordance with the established financial management and governance procedures, and to allow the continuation of activities supported by the Fund up to the end of 2022.