Minister McGrath Welcomes Cross-Border Approval of the €1.1 billion 2021-27 PEACE PLUS EU Programme

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, TD, has welcomed today’s approval by the North South Ministerial Council of the draft PEACE PLUS cross-border EU programme.

Following approval last week by the Government, the draft programme was this week approved by the Northern Ireland Executive and by the North South Ministerial Council. The programme will now be reviewed by the European Commission for final consideration and approval, ahead of a formal launch in 2022.

PEACE PLUS is a new North South programme for the 2021-27 period which will combine the previous PEACE and INTERREG EU funding strands into one cohesive cross-border programme. This new programme will support peace and prosperity across an eligible area of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland (Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo).

Financial commitments by the EU, the UK, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland provide for a total funding allocation for PEACE PLUS of around €1.145 billion – more than twice the combined value of the 2014-20 PEACE and INTERREG cross-border programmes.

The development process for PEACE PLUS has been led by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) , a North South Implementation Body established under the Good Friday Agreement , working in close cooperation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland and the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The SEUPB was supported by a cross-sectoral Programme Development Steering Group, consisting of representatives of both Governments, as well as of local government, business, trade union, community and voluntary sectors, environment and rural and equality organisations, north and south.

Programme design was informed by consultation and engagement, including an extensive initial public consultation carried out between December 2019 and February 2020, and a public consultation on the draft programme between March and May 2021. The preparation of PEACE PLUS has also involved close cooperation between government departments North and South in order to identify and develop areas of cross-border collaboration.

The draft PEACE PLUS programme centres on six thematic areas of cross-border activity. Some of the themes build on successful themes in the current North South programmes, others, such as the cross border Skills Programme, Smart Towns and Villages, Youth Mental Health and Rural Development and Regeneration, are exciting new areas for cross-border investment. PEACE PLUS will also introduce two new funding streams for small grants, to ensure easier access for community groups and smaller organisations.

More details of the draft PEACE PLUS programme can be found at www.seupb.eu/peaceplus .

Minister McGrath said:

‘I am delighted to have secured Cabinet approval for the draft PEACE PLUS cross-border programme. I also welcome this week’s approval for the draft programme by the Northern Ireland Executive and by the North South Ministerial Council. These are key milestones in the development of this new programme.

"With a total funding package of over €1.1 billion, PEACE PLUS is set to be an ambitious and impactful cross-border programme which will build on the strong legacy of the PEACE and INTERREG EU programmes. I believe that the scale of the support which PEACE PLUS will provide for shared peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland is especially timely as we look ahead to recovery from the COVID pandemic and as we adapt to the challenges of Brexit.

"I would like in particular to acknowledge the shared commitment of the EU, the UK, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland to PEACE PLUS. The development of this programme since 2018 is a strong signal of our continued joint commitment to support peace and reconciliation and cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland.

"I would also like to thank the Special EU Programmes Body for their exhaustive work on programme development for PEACE PLUS, as well as the stakeholders represented on the PEACE PLUS Programme Development Steering Group.

"I look forward to European Commission approval of the draft programme over the coming months, and to a formal launch of PEACE PLUS in 2022."

Notes for Editors

The PEACE PLUS programme was proposed in May 2018 as part of the European Commission's European Commission’s proposals for the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) and EU Cohesion Policy for the 2021-27 period. The proposal demonstrates the importance placed by the EU, and by the Governments of Ireland and the UK, on the strengthening of peace and reconciliation and cross-border cooperation between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
PEACE PLUS will cover an eligible area of Northern Ireland and Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo (although there is scope for activity to extend beyond that area). This new programme will combine the existing PEACE and INTERREG cross-border EU funding strands into one cohesive new North-South programme to run from 2021-27.
Commitments to PEACE PLUS are included in the January 2020 EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement , and in the accompanying Political Declaration, as well as in the December 2020 EU-UK Joint Declaration on Participation in Union Programmes and Access to Programme Services.
Programme development for PEACE PLUS has been led by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), which is a North South Implementation Body established on foot of the Good Friday Agreement . SEUPB is headquartered in Belfast, with satellite offices in Omagh and Monaghan. SEUPB has been assisted in this task by the PEACE PLUS Programme Development Group (PDSG), which consists of representatives of both governments, as well as of local government, business, trade union, community and voluntary sector, environment and rural and equality organisations.
The development of PEACE PLUS has been informed by extensive consultation and research.

This has included:

A public consultation carried out by SEUPB between December 2019 and February 2020, which involved 16 public events, held in every county in the eligible area, as well as the collection of over 300 written submissions;

A second public consultation carried out by SEUPB between March and May 2021;

Joint proposals from Government Departments, North and South, which have worked collaboratively, with guidance from SEUPB, to identify and agree a range of cross-border interventions

A Socio-Economic Profile of the eligible area for the new programme, jointly prepared by Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) economists and their counterparts from the Northern Ireland Civil Service
The Programme Thematic and Investment Areas are as follows:

Theme 1: Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities:

1.1 Co-Designed Local Authority Community Action Plans

1.2 Empowering Communities - small grants

1.3 Building Positive Relations

1.4 Reimaging communities

Theme 2: Delivery Economic Regeneration and Tranformation:

2.1 Delivering Economic Regeneragion and Transformation (SME's)

2.2 Innovation Challenge Fund

2.3 Skills Development Programme

2.4 Smart Towns and Villages

Theme 3: Empowering and Investing in our Young People:

3.1 Learning Together

3.2 PEACE PLUS for Youth

3.3 Young Mental Health and Wellbeing

Theme 4: Healthy and Inclusive Communities:

4.1 Collaborative Health and Social Care

4.2 Rural Development and Regeneration

4.3 Victims and Survivors Service

Theme 5: Supporting a Sustainable Future:

5.1 Biodiversity,Nature Recovery and Resilience

5.2 Marine and Coastal Management

5.3 Water Quality and Catchment Management

5.4 Water Improvement

5.5 Geothermal Energy Demonstration Programme

5.6 Sustainable Travel Connections

Theme 6: Building and Embedding Partnership and Collaboration:

6.1 Strategic Planning

6.2 Maintaining and Forging Relationships between Citizens

ENDS