Northern Ireland to get extra £200m in peace funding post-Brexit

Northern Ireland will receive an additional £200m to continue funding peace and cross-border projects after Brexit, the government has announced.

This is on top of £300m that was announced by the government last year and £105m pledged by the EU.

The money will be made available from 2021 until 2027.

It is for a scheme known as Peace Plus, a successor to programmes which have run since 1995 in NI and the border counties in the Republic of Ireland.

Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said the money would "contribute to a more prosperous and stable society in Northern Ireland and the border region".

"This is part of our continued commitment to maintaining the gains of the peace process and the Belfast Good Friday Agreement."

The new scheme is set to replace the current peace scheme, which has been in operation since 1995.

It applies to Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland - Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth.

It is the successor to the Peace IV scheme, which focuses on children and young people, shared education, shared spaces and positive local relations.

It is funded by the UK, Ireland and the EU.

Peace Plus is being managed by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Its chief executive Gina McIntyre welcomed the funding and said the organisation was already at "an advanced stage" of preparations.

NI and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland have got more than €3bn (£2.7bn) in peace projects since the scheme began.

Some of the best known projects include the Peace Bridge over the River Foyle and the regeneration of the Girdwood Barracks in north Belfast.

However, the bulk of the money has gone into smaller community projects.