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

Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on 28 April 2025.

MLA

Mr John O'Dowd

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

28 April 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statement

Heading

North-South Ministerial Council: Special EU Programmes

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4914022

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

In compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the twenty-third meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Special EU Programmes sectoral format, which was held in the North/South Ministerial Council building, Armagh, on Wednesday 2 April 2025. As Minister of Finance, I represented the Executive and was accompanied by Minister Givan from the Department of Education. The Irish Government were represented by Minister Jack Chambers TD from the Department for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. This statement has been agreed with Minister Givan, and I am making it on behalf of us both. The NSMC received a report on the implementation of the 2014-2020 Peace IV and INTERREG Va programmes. Ministers noted that, to date, all EU expenditure targets have been met and that both programmes are forecast to achieve full expenditure in line with the total programme allocations. Ministers noted that 65 of the 96 Peace IV projects and 25 of the 32 INTERREG Va projects have completed activity and all closure requirements. The remaining 38 projects across both programmes are undergoing the administrative process of closure, which is expected to conclude before the end of June 2025. The Council noted the chief executive officer's progress report for the 2021-27 PEACE PLUS programme. The Council was advised that calls had been opened under 21 of the programme's 22 investment areas and that 81 projects, to the value of €758 million, had so far been approved for PEACE PLUS funding. Further steering committee meetings were subsequently held, and I can report that 97 projects, with a value of €875 million, have now been approved. Ministers noted and approved the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) business plan for 2025, which was drafted in line with guidance issued by the Finance Departments, and they recommended the associated budget provision. Ministers noted that the 2022 and 2023 SEUPB annual report and accounts, having been certified by the Comptrollers and Auditors General (C&AG) in both jurisdictions, had been laid before the Assembly and the Houses of the Oireachtas. Ministers noted that the governance structures of the SEUPB continue to operate effectively. The Council noted that the SEUPB continues to implement the recommendations of the SEUPB organisational review that the NSMC approved on 15 May 2024. The Council welcomed the presentation that was made on the PEACE PLUS 'PEACE of Mind' project, which works to ensure emotional resilience in children and young people who are aged between nine and 25. The project was awarded PEACE PLUS funding of €7,699,611 under investment area 3.3, which is on youth mental health and well-being. In other matters, a Waterways Ireland paper was tabled. Ministers noted that paper and consented to a property disposal. The Council agreed to hold its next Special EU Programmes meeting in autumn 2025.

I note that, as part of the joint communiqué that was released after the British-Irish Council (BIC) meeting that was held in Liverpool, both Governments said that, in principle, they were agreeable to a new programme after 2027. I assure the Member that I, along with my Executive colleagues, will work with the NIO and with the Irish Government to ensure that that commitment is fulfilled.

I do not have those figures in front of me, but I will provide them to the Member.

As the Member will note, a considerable number of projects have fulfilled and closed. While there is always a risk of fraudulent claims in any funding programme, it has to be noted that PEACE PLUS has delivered considerable change for communities across the island.

A number of programmes have calls for funding, such as investment area 6·1, which opened on 20 March and closes on 15 May. A second call is open for:

"Investment Area 2.4 - Smart Towns and Villages ... An area-based approach will be adopted to the creation of Smart Towns and Villages. This proven model utilises a social innovation-led approach to maximise the potential of ICT to deliver improved social and economic outcomes in target areas".

The change maker funding programme is a small grants scheme opened on 23 April 2025 which:

"will distribute €40m over the next three years to support people to people projects on a cross community and/or cross-border basis, delivering awards of up to €100,000 directly into communities."

One of the new PEACE PLUS approaches compared with previous Peace programmes has been to reduce the bureaucracy to ensure that it is more accessible for community groups. The community groups' experience of getting into the PEACE PLUS programmes will have to be assessed. The new £100,000 fund is a good approach because it is a manageable amount of funding for small community groups, and the reduction in bureaucracy will assist those groups in applying for it.

806 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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