PEACE PLUS Could Drop From €200m+ to €150m. MEP Warns Monaghan Jobs Are at Risk
Independent MEP Ciaran Mullooly says the Irish EU Presidency's draft budget would allocate €150 million to PEACE PLUS for the next seven years, down from over €200 million, and has written to the Taoiseach asking him to intervene.
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Monaghan Town Hall, Dublin Street, 2016. Archive location photograph; not the site of the reported project. Eric Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized; cropped in layout.
Funding for the cross-border PEACE PLUS programme, which supports organisations across Monaghan and Cavan, would fall to €150 million for the next seven-year programme under the draft EU budget, down from over €200 million in the last budget, Independent MEP Ciaran Mullooly has warned.
Mr Mullooly told Northern Sound on Friday, 16 October, that he was "shocked" and that the cut could put jobs in the region at risk. He has written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin asking him to intervene urgently to increase the figure.
What's in the draft
The draft was prepared by the Government in its role holding the EU Council Presidency. The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish Presidency circulated its revised "Negotiating Box" for the 2028-2034 EU budget on Saturday, 10 October, outlining overall savings of 8% (€141 billion) on the European Commission's proposal.
The Government said savings were found "across all Headings". Leaders are due to discuss the proposal at the October European Council, with agreement targeted by the end of 2026.
What the MEP said
"I'm disappointed and quite shocked by the proposal last weekend of an Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Irish government that the sum awarded for the next seven year programme would be reduced to 150 million euro," Mr Mullooly said.
"Many would say the only way is down in terms of further negotiations on this figure. If that were to happen I think the PEACE PLUS fund would be in serious trouble."
He said it "would come as a terrible blow to County Monaghan and County Cavan, and to the border region in general", pointing to successful projects already running and others "on the backburner that are ready for the next stage of PEACE PLUS".
What happens next
The figure is a draft and remains subject to negotiation between EU member states.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
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