Cross border consortium a mere fiction
26 July 2005
Some time ago I exposed the fact that the various cross-border bodies set up under the Good Friday Agreement are exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. I am now appalled to discover that one of the intermediate funding bodies awarded the allocation of funding under Measures 5.3 and 5.4 of the PEACE II Extension, which is a cross-border consortium called “ADM/CPA”, does not hold records of the community background of its employees. In a letter to me ADM/CPA confirms that staff at ADM/CPA are employed by ADM Limited, which is Republic of Ireland company, and thus is governed by Dublin legislation which does not require information on employees’ community background.Two important issues emerge. First, this supposed cross-border consortium is in effect a Republic of Ireland company only with staff employed by its Republic of Ireland parent company. Second, though masquerading as a cross-border entity, this ROI company has exclusive control of the distribution of millions of euros of EU funding under Measures 5.3 and 5.4, which exist for the promotion of developing cross border understanding and economic advancement, including training. Thus the supposed cross-border consortium is in effect a mere fiction, designed to lend cover and credibility to cross-border Measures, when in truth it is controlled by a ROI company.
Little wonder unionism continues to lack confidence in much of the administration of the PEACE funding.
