As €1.4 billion in peace funding is set to be distributed across the North and border region of Ireland one Cavan-Monaghan TD has called for it to find its way to "hard to reach" community groups. Most people in the Northern Sound region know of a project made possible by finance from the Peace Plus programme which was set up the mid-90s to promote peace on both sides of the border. Ireland has benefitted to the tune of €3.39 billion already.
But, now Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has said cross-border funding must be directed towards disadvantaged communities. Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Smith said he knows first-hand as a representative for two southern Ulster counties the benefits of Peace investment in every parish, village and town. But he added that really hard-to-reach groups must have access to this investment. It has often been the case in the past that groups with the most financial backing, volunteers and staff find it easier to apply for government funding.
"Aplications are being accepted and processed and it covers a whole range of areas of every day benefit to people," Deputy Smith told Northern Sound, "It's about building peaceful and thriving communities and delivering economic regeneration and transformation in different communities, there is an emphasis as well on investment in young people in healthy and inclusive communities and, also now with great emphasis in environmental matters, also supporting sustainability and better connectivity as well."
