Donegal Councillor raises concerns over the future of PeacePlus funding

Concerns have been expressed regarding the future and security of PeacePlus funding by Sinn Féin Councillor Jack Murray. 

PeacePlus is a cross-border funding initiative, designed to support peace and prosperity, building upon the work of previous programmes. The programme is supported by the EU, UK and Ireland. 

Inishowen representative and member of the EU’s Committee of the Regions, Cllr Murray has expressed concerns following discussions with his party colleague, Kathleen Funchion MEP.

“Border counties, and Donegal in particular, have benefited significantly from PeacePlus funding over many years,” Cllr Murray said. “Billions of euro has been invested in our communities, strengthening cross-border cooperation and facilitating large-scale projects which would have otherwise been impossible.

“While I originally welcomed that my colleague Kathleen Funchion MEP received an EU commitment that PeacePlus would be continued post 2028, it now seems that, upon closer inspection, central funding from Brussels is not included in that.

“The European Commission is implying that PeacePlus must be entirely funded by the Irish government, including through using part of its own wider EU allocation, and by the British government. Given the historic neglect of the Northwest of Ireland, I am not confident that Dublin or London would act to fill the significant shortfall that the lack of European funding would create.

“At a recent meeting of the Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget, I stressed the importance of this fund for Ireland and received support from local representatives from across Europe. I will continue to raise it and seek support from CoR colleagues.

“Sinn Féin will fight in whatever forum we can to ensure a centralised allocation remains at the core of PeacePlus funding. I will continue to highlight this in my capacity on the Committee of the Regions, while Kathleen will fight it tooth and nail in the European Parliament.

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“I am grateful for the work that Kathleen has done in exposing the threat to this fund. As an MEP for Ireland South, this would not necessarily impact her constituents as much as those of us in the border region, but she has committed to raising it at the highest levels in Brussels. She will have support from myself at local level, as well as Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty in the Dáil.”