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Ireland/North Ireland

The CBJ Profile Program Summary Tables Complete USAID/Ireland Program Please note: All linked documents are in PDF format Objective SO Number FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 International Fund for Ireland 190-0410 18,391 18,352 8,500 Transfers   3,479 3,472 3,500 Total (in thousands of dollars) 21,870 21,824 12,000

The Development Challenge: Tremendous changes have taken place since the 1998 approval of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) by an overwhelming majority of the populations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. After general acceptance of the GFA and ceasefires by paramilitary organizations, Northern Ireland has experienced economic renewal. Nonetheless, political stability is still not fully realized and remains a key objective of U.S. policy. Sectarian confrontation within Northern Ireland, or more commonly, isolation or voluntary segregation between the unionist and nationalist communities, remains a challenge to building a diverse society founded on tolerance, equal rights, and a commitment to nonviolent political means for the common good.

Support for cross-community reconciliation has long been the focus of U.S. assistance to Northern Ireland and the six border counties of the Republic of Ireland: Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, and Louth. The U.S. Government makes significant contributions to the peace process through its support of the International Fund for Ireland and the Walsh Visa Program.

The USAID Program: International Fund for Ireland: As the major donor to the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), the United States provides assistance for economic development and cross-community reconciliation throughout Northern Ireland and the border counties.

The objectives of the IFI are to promote economic and social advancement, and encourage contact, dialogue, and reconciliation between nationalist and unionist communities throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The IFI has been instrumental in providing new investment that creates jobs and reconstructs disadvantaged areas. Reconciliation projects have fostered cross-community exchanges involving youth and community leaders. Fund policy requires that all projects benefit both nationalist and unionist communities, and that the implementing organization includes members of the two communities. Through this policy, the IFI has been successful in encouraging communities to take ownership of projects. The jobs and social stability that have resulted from the U.S. contribution to the IFI are tangible expressions of U.S. policy in Northern Ireland.

Other Program Elements: The Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998, also known as the Walsh Visa Program, provides employment and job training for young people who are residents of Northern Ireland or one of the six border counties of the Republic of Ireland. The Walsh Visa Program supports economic regeneration as well as peace and reconciliation in these areas. After the participants complete a training program in Ireland, they are hired by a Walsh employer in the United States for up to 36 months.

Other Donors: IFI activities are financed through international contributions from the United States, European Union, and Canada. Each of the donors sends a non-voting observer to IFI Board meetings. New Zealand, and Australia, former donors which do not actively contribute to the Fund, retain the right to send non-voting observers to IFI Board meetings. In 2004, the United States was the largest donor to the fund, providing approximately 50% of total donor funding for the year.

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