Time for Ireland to start post 2013 European funding debate, says Senator Cecilia Keaveney

Posted on 08/03/10 by Cecilia Keaveney

Ireland now needs to start looking to how European funding will be focused post 2013.

I attended a meeting of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly subcommittee on European Affairs in Dublin today and it this was the main subject up for discussion.

If we don’t get plans in place soon we could be left behind.

Until now, funding has been geared towards national governments. However, now we have areas like the Baltic Sea, the Danube region and the Adriatic Sea working together as three distinct entities. They are putting together programmes not only of common problems but solutions too.

Ireland needs to identify the pertinent issues in the coming years, whether they are marine, energy security, global warming, or the many other protections of jobs that exist. We also need to identify which countries we have the potential to find common solutions with.

In bringing co-ordinated plans forward that embrace a number of countries, there is a belief that focused funding packages could really deliver to macro regions.

We have been working as a Committee on this issue over a number of months now. We had a number of meetings with very pertinent people, government representatives and agencies in Brussels, London and Stockholm.

Today in Dublin we met with Donegal Fianna Fáil Cllr Patrick Mc Gowan who is the President of the Irish delegation to the Committee of the Regions and a member of the Border Regional Authority, and Patricia Potter, the Director of Dublin Regional Authority.

Linking the work and thoughts of local regions and local representatives into the national and international stage is a very important element. Each level has a vital input and too often there isn't enough respect given to integrating experience from local to the International.

The issue of what happens post 2013 is very significant and this makes our enquiry very timely. We all need to be aware that action is happening in other regions and we cannot sit back on this work, locally, nationally or internationally.

Let us lead, not await an unknown. We wish to promote the debate and ensure the British Irish Council and the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly drive a policy agenda that has political 'buy in'.

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