Debate contribution: North/South Ministerial Council: Special EU Programmes

Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on 29 June 2026.

MLA

Mr John O'Dowd

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

29 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statements

Heading

North/South Ministerial Council: Special EU Programmes

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5644727

Read the official Assembly record

Text

In compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the twenty-fifth meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in special EU programmes sectoral format, which was held at Black Mountain Shared Space on 10 June 2026. As Finance Minister, I represented the Executive and was accompanied by junior Minister Bunting. The Irish Government were represented by Minister Jack Chambers TD, who is responsible for the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The statement has been agreed with junior Minister Bunting, and I am making the statement on behalf of us both. Before the meeting started, the Council received an informative tour of Black Mountain Shared Space and saw first-hand the positive impact that £7 million of Peace IV funding has had on bringing communities together. The meeting commenced with an update from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) chief executive. Ministers noted the successful closure of the Peace IV and INTERREG Va programmes, with reports submitted to the European Commission in February 2026. The Council was encouraged to hear that the delivery of PEACE PLUS is progressing well, with all investment areas having opened for calls. However, the Council noted the challenging financial target to be met in 2026. To date, 121 projects have been approved under the main programme and 65 projects have been approved under the Change Maker funding programme, which is the small grants initiative for investment in grassroots organisations. In total, approximately €1 billion has been committed across the PEACE PLUS programme, representing 94% of the commitment. Calls for funding are currently open under investment area 6.1, strategic planning and engagement, and investment area 2.3, programme area skills development, of the Change Maker funding programme. I encourage any eligible organisations to apply. On matters of corporate governance, Ministers noted that the Special EU Programmes Body is nearing completion of its recruitment of a full complement of staff, as approved by NSMC in May 2024. The Council noted that the 2024 annual accounts are being reviewed by the Comptroller and Auditor General in both jurisdictions, and will be laid before the Assembly and Oireachtas as soon as possible following certification. The draft 2025 accounts will undergo the same process this year. Looking ahead, Ministers received an update on the development of a future PEACE PLUS programme and welcomed the fact that engagement between stakeholders is under way. That ongoing collaboration is important in shaping a successful programme.

To conclude the meeting, the Council received an engaging presentation on the PEAT+ project, which is focused on restoring more than 12,000 hectares of peatlands across the programme area, with funding of approximately €19·2 million committed. The project will deliver environmental benefits and support rural jobs and skills. The Council agreed to hold its next special EU programmes meeting in late 2026.

I understand that there have been positive engagements between the British and Irish Governments, who are also working with the EU Commission on, hopefully, agreeing a future funding programme under Peace. At this stage, it is fair to say that all indications are positive, but nothing will be guaranteed until it is signed off. Obviously, the Executive will have to contribute to any future programme as well.

The huge benefits that the PEACE PLUS programme has had over the past number of years has been identified across a wide range of rural communities. Again, it is also targeted at tackling social deprivation and making change across communities through a wide range of projects and meeting the demands and needs of local communities and wider society. Thus far, the programme has been positive. I look forward to continuing to work with the stakeholders in it and continuing to see positive change as a result.

I raised that matter at the meeting, and I proposed that we write to the Audit Office about those matters to see whether there is a way that we can ensure that accounts are laid in a timely fashion, as they should be, in the time frames that we all expect. Minister Chambers and I will hopefully agree a letter in the near future to forward to the Audit Office about that matter.

We want to ensure that we see programmes that deliver sustainable change across communities and are not one-off events funded for the time frame of the programme, where communities see long-lasting, real change to the outcomes of this generation and future generations in those communities. The Peace programme has been largely successful. It has not only brought huge amounts of money into communities but delivered significant change. However, we want to ensure that that change is sustainable, meets the needs of those communities and creates lasting change for future generations.

It should certainly be part of any future Peace programme. While there are places and, indeed, a need for, perhaps, multimillion-pound projects, there are also needs in communities for smaller amounts of funding that make real and deliverable change within a time frame that many community groups can work to. Therefore, I would like to see a similar Change Maker programme in the next round of funding.

The funding programme and the decisions made by the board have to meet the criteria set out by the Commission, agreed between the Irish and British Governments and, indeed, supported by the Executive. In some sense, decisions might have been out of kilter with the previous Programme for Government. We have to ensure that, in our engagements with the two Governments and the European Commission on any future programme, the decisions meet our priorities as much as possible and are tied in with them. That is part of an ongoing engagement and will have to take place over the time ahead.

I do not have a full assessment in front of me. I am happy for officials to share with you any assessments that are available, but there has been a particular emphasis on the border corridors, which have large rural communities, as you will be aware. The investment along those corridors has been significant and has made tangible changes in those communities. In tackling poverty and inequality, urban and rural settings have both different and common challenges. Thus far, the Peace programme has been flexible enough to identify those and ensure that it works in tandem with the needs of local communities. I will share whatever information we have with the Member.

1,072 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:58 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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