The European Commission has formally approved new investment totalling €217m of European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) to support regional development schemes across Ireland's northern and western regions.
Following recent approval by the Government, the ERDF Regional Programme, drafted by the Northern & Western Regional Assembly, was submitted to the EU Commission for its review and final negotiations.
The Commission subsequently approved the final investment programme, which will begin immediately, today. Director of the NWRA, David Minton, said Ireland has one of the highest levels of regional inequality among EU member states.
He added that despite the country's economic growth, a very uneven pattern of success can be identified where some areas of the country benefit significantly less than the capital region.
"The EU has always been a major contributor to our economy. We are excited to be working with our government partners to deliver this significant investment.
"It underlines our ambition to be more competitive, more specialised, more urban and greener. It's an investment in our young people, our talent, our educational institutions, and our towns," said Mr Minton.
