Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Finance what discussions he has had with the British and Irish Governments on the way in which the SEUPB will operate post-Brexit.
Minister of Finance: The SEUPB role is to implement the current PEACE IV and INTERREG VA programmes and to develop and implement the new PEACE PLUS programme. Commitments have been provided for these programmes within the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration agreed at the European Council on 17th October 2019.
These commitments were noted and welcomed at an NSMC meeting in SEUPB Sectoral format on 30th October 2020. I attended this meeting along with Minister McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland, as co-Sponsor Department Ministers for the SEUPB.
My officials are engaging with Whitehall on the details of an agreement to be concluded by the British Government and the EU Commission for the PEACE PLUS programme. The role of SEUPB as Managing Authority for the PEACE PLUS programme will be formalised within this agreement.
ENDS
Your MLA 