NI '˜peace' funding guaranteed post-Brexit
A number of projects supporting peace on both sides of the Irish border will receive around £300 million in grants from the UK government following Brexit, the NIO has announced.
With the current PEACE programme – funded by the UK, Republic of Ireland and the EU – due to end in 2020, Secretary of State Karen Bradley said the new “PEACE Plus” money will be guaranteed until 2027.
“This funding will help deliver vital projects on both sides of the Irish border, supporting cooperation and reconciliation and ensuring that generations to come grown up in a more peaceful and stable society,” she said.
The EU has already set out its own plan to continue funding peace projects with £109 million (€120 million) committed to the 2021-27 period – provided its financial framework is given the green light.
This arrangement maintains the existing funding proportion and flows from the NIO’s joint commitment with the EU, in the Withdrawal Agreement, to maintain funding “for vital work on reconciliation and a shared future for Northern Ireland” until at least 2027. The funding will enable organisations to continue to build on almost £1.8 billion already invested in peace projects.