UK commits £300m to N Ireland projects

Britain on Friday announced hundreds of millions of pounds in funding “to support peace in Northern Ireland” after Brexit, continuing for another seven years a shared initiative with Ireland and the EU.

The British government said it will commit around £300 million ($383 million) to the “Peace Plus” plan, which will run from 2021 until 2027.

The scheme started in 1995 to promote economic and social progress in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland.

“This funding will help deliver vital projects on both sides of the Irish border, supporting cooperation and reconciliation and ensuring that generations to come grow up in a more peaceful and stable society,” said Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley.

The next stage of the scheme will continue various projects, including a £14.5 million bridge across the River Foyle in Derry, a city in the northwest of the province close to the Irish border.

The EU has set out its plan for £109 million of funding for the “Peace Plus” plan, according to Bradley’s office.