Border boost from Budget worth €500m
More than half a billion euro is to be pumped into counties on either side of the Irish border, Dublin’s public spending minister has announced.
As part of the Republic’s Budget measures, Labour’s Brendan Howlin said new funding has been secured from Europe for the next seven years.
The money will come from the PEACE and INTERREG schemes.
The funds will be used to help boost the economy on both sides of the border, increase tourism as well as improve cross-border and cross-community relations.
Mr Howlin, delivering the first tax-cut and spending increase budget in the republic for seven years, said : “The Government attaches a high priority to these cross-border programmes, and I am pleased to say that draft programmes have now been submitted to the Commission by the Government in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive.”
Mr Howlin said a special allocation of €100m for the Border, Midlands and Western region would also form part of an overall €1.2bn package of structural funds up to 2020.
“I am committed to ensuring that the benefits of our economic revival are shared across the whole country,” he said.
