A fund that was originally set up to counter high levels of unemployment and disadvantage in Northern Ireland and the Border counties is now shifting its focus to reconciliation work, because of the economic boom. Alison Healy reports.
The International Fund for Ireland (IFI) was set up by the Irish and British governments in 1986, after the late US politician, T. P. "Tip" O'Neill, visited his grandmother's farm in Donegal and was taken aback at the high unemployment in Derry and the north-west.
It is funded by governments in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and by the European Union.
Yesterday the IFI reported investment of €36.5 million in more than 300 economic and social projects in Northern Ireland and the six neighbouring counties in 2004.
Its outgoing chairman, Mr Willie McCarter, said reconciliation and cross-community work would be the direction for the future.
"After taking account of the general reduction in unemployment we decided to place greater emphasis on projects designed to promote reconciliation and wider cross-community contact and dialogue," he said.
Last year's investment brings to €768 million the total amount committed to more than 5,500 projects since the fund began in 1986.
Projects that received commitments for funding last year included:
The Leitrim Food Centre of Excellence (€450,000)
The Strabane-Lifford Waterways Project (€400,000)
The Clones Business Technology Park (€400,000)
The Midas digital media project in Dundalk (€331,000)
A youth programme funded 45 projects involving 950 young people. These were placements of cross-community groups in overseas work experience in Canada, the US, Europe and South Africa.
Mr McCarter said the IFI had helped transform social and economic conditions in some of the worst trouble spots in Northern Ireland.
Last night the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, paid tribute to Mr McCarter, who was chairman of IFI for 12 years.