Transport needs for Northern Ireland
02 June 2005
Policy Documents and Submissions
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Today’s visit of the Transport Commissioner presents an opportunity to press home Northern Ireland’s acute infrastructural needs. In my discussions with Commissioner Barrow I intend to do so. In this regard I have prepared the attached Briefing paper which I will deliver to him.
Northern Ireland has lost out substantially in EU funding because of the decision that access to the Cohesion Fund would be based on national rather than regional criteria. Thus Northern Ireland has never been able to qualify for one penny of Cohesion funding, which is directed at addressing infrastructural needs on transport and environmental needs.
The Republic of Ireland, on the other hand, has benefited massively, having drawn down over 1Billion Euro for transport needs and the same again for water and sewerage plants. I, therefore, intend to press with Mr Barrot the severe infrastructural deficit which Northern Ireland has been left to address, without EU aid, because of Brussels’ restrictive criteria on Cohesion Funding.