Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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233. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress to date in advancing the proposal to establish a successor programme to the Peace Plus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23503/26]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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PEACEPLUS is a €1.1 billion cross-border co-operation programme for Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland and is part of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy programmes. The PEACEPLUS programme is the current iteration of the EU’s North South PEACE and INTERREG programmes which have been running since the 1990s. As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, I have joint responsibility for PEACEPLUS along with the Minister for Finance Northern Ireland.

The 2021-2027 PEACEPLUS programme is successfully in its implementation phase, funding projects across a diverse range of investment areas, including health, education, transport, and socio-economic regeneration. 122 projects have been awarded funding under the main programme to date, and further funding awards are also ongoing under the PEACEPLUS Changemaker Funds.

On 6 March 2025, the Taoiseach and the UK Prime Minister issued a Joint Statement outlining their shared commitment to the successful delivery of the 2021-2027 PEACEPLUS programme and their agreement in principle to a successor programme.

In July 2025, the European Commission included legislative provision for a successor to the PEACEPLUS programme in its draft Multi-annual Financial Framework proposals for 2028-34.

My officials will continue to engage with the European Commission and the UK Government on the successor programme.