NORTHERN IRELAND would have been a “much worse” place during the Troubles were it not for the “very substantial” financial assistance it received from the EU, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said in Brussels last night.
After he and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness met with EU commission chief José Manuel Barroso, Mr Robinson said the powersharing Executive was “looking to the future” in respect of European funding for the “capacity-building” exercise in the North.
The three leaders met in the commission’s headquarters before the opening of the Executive’s new office in Brussels.
“Northern Ireland would have been a very much different place, a very much worse place, if it hadn’t been for the significant funds that have come from Europe,” Mr Robinson told reporters.
“A lot of people when they look at budgetary issues, they look at money going into Europe as if it’s disappearing. But the money that goes into Europe comes back out to the regions, those regions which are most in need and Northern Ireland has got its very significant share of that.”
A Northern Ireland taskforce established in 2007 by Mr Barroso will return to the North in the new year to examine new funding opportunities, it emerged yesterday. The group has a remit to support the expansion and modernisation of the economy.
Mr Barroso said that EU institutions have contributed more than £2.5 billion (€2.98 billion) to Northern Ireland since 1990.
“The various funds have provided real value added to local communities throughout Northern Ireland. We will look at how we can best continue to provide support in the future,” he said.
“We have discussed the impact of the economic downturn in Northern Ireland. I’m especially concerned at the levels of youth unemployment.”
Mr McGuinness said that Mr Barroso was a “very strong and very true friend” of the peace process.