Time for Unionists to have their slice of Peace II cake
02 June 2005
Since my election as a member of the European Parliament I have expressed severe reservations about how money coming from the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation has been spent. During previous stages of the Peace programme (known as Peace I and Peace II); the Unionist Community has not been given what I consider our fair allocation of available resources. I want that to change. During the last twelve months, I have lobbied for fundamental alterations to the way in which the Peace Programme is administered and delivered on the ground.
In the past when I have raised my concerns about the under-funding of Protestant and/or Unionist areas, one of the stock responses that I receive runs as follows “if Unionists don’t apply for funding, they cannot complain when they don’t get it”. Now that the Peace II stage of the programme has been extended, it is vital that we remove this defence from those who would seek to deny our community their fair share of the funds available. To that end, it is vital that we see an increased rate of applications for funding coming in from groups that operate within the Unionist community. The Peace II programme has been extended for 2 years and is now open for applications. The application period will however only last for eight weeks and is due to close at the end of July/beginning of August. This very small window of opportunity cannot be missed. We will not get another chance to get this right.
Under the extended Peace II programme, groups who are eligible to apply include loyal orders, churches, bands, youth organisations and sporting groups. Those who administer the Programme have been made to recognise that there has been an under-representation of funding applications from within the Protestant/Unionist community and isolated rural areas. There is nothing in the criterion that excludes “single identity” projects where such projects can be seen to be contributing to building positive relationships between communities in Northern Ireland.
In the past, the application procedure for applying for funding under Peace II was excessively complicated and deterred many people from within the Protestant/Unionist community from applying. Given the much stronger community group structure which exists in nationalist areas, it is unsurprising that a greater number of applications originated from that particular section of the community. However, I am pleased to report that under the extended programme, the application form has been shortened considerably and has been made easier to complete. This is something which I have been campaigning for since June 2004.
There are also a series of public information events being held around Northern Ireland, organised by the Special EU Programmes Body (the body responsible for over-seeing the programme) outlining what funding is available and how to apply. I urge as many people as possible to attend these events – go along, ask questions and find out about submitting an application. My European Constituency office (028 9065 5011) is also willing to provide assistance guiding people on the process of filling in application forms.
My concerns about the outworking of the Peace Programme are a matter of public record. I want to see a fair deal for all sections of our community, not merely one, in terms of funding provided. The extension of the Peace Programme is a welcome opportunity to attempt to redress the anti-Unionist imbalance which has existed heretofore. But it is also a fleeting prospect that must not be missed. It is absolutely vital that Unionists apply to gain access to these resources and get our fair slice of the Peace cake.
