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NEW: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar @LeoVaradkar to officially launch €1bn #EU funding for Northern Ireland
Statement from the Irish government: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is in Belfast today (Monday) to announce €1.14 billion in funding through PEACEPLUS, a new EU programme to build reconciliation and greater prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
The Taoiseach will be joined by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, European Commission Vice President Maros Šefčovič, a representative of the UK Government, and the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Dr Jayne Brady.
The Taoiseach will hold a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Šefčovič to discuss the EU’s commitment to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, as well as the state of play on the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
He will also have a bilateral with the UK Government representative in order to underline the importance the Irish Government attaches to the restoration of the power-sharing institutions and to the British-Irish partnership, as well as the Government’s concerns relating to the UK Government’s Legacy Bill.
The Taoiseach will also engage with Northern Ireland business during the visit. What is #PEACEPLUS?

It is a new €1.14billion EU funding programme, designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
Consolidating on the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement and the achievements of the 23,000 projects funded through PEACE and INTERREG Programmes over the past 25 years, PEACEPLUS will deliver investment across six key themes designed to ensure the continued economic, social, and environmental development of Northern Ireland and the six border counties.

Development and management of EU North South programmes is the responsibility of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), a North South Implementation Body established under the Good Friday Agreement.

The SEUPB @SEUPB is headquartered in Belfast, with smaller offices in Omagh and Monaghan, and is jointly sponsored by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in Ireland and the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland.

NEW: Britain will not sign off on Northern Ireland deal without DUP @duponline backing - Cleverly reuters.com/world/uk/brita… Asked for a response to Cleverly's comment, a spokesman for the DUP said the focus in London and Brussels should be on getting the right deal, not rushing ahead "The wrong deal will not restore powersharing but will cement division for future generations," the DUP told Reuters.

NEW: Most voters in Northern Ireland do not rank the protocol among their highest policy concerns when compared to other policy issues, a new report by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, has found. According to opinion polling conducted by LucidTalk on behalf of researchers at Queen’s, the issue of top concern to most respondents (42%) among the six listed is the health service followed by the economy (31%).

Concerning reports coming to me about an incident in Omagh… It's understood a police officer has been shot a number of times. More to follow.

NEW: Following meeting btwn Rishi Sunak & business leaders Manufacturing NI Stephen Kells says it is clear the PM is fully engaged & had intimate understanding of the issues & need to strike the balance between protecting consumers & the market access our exporters depend upon. “It was very clear that the Prime Minister was not only fully engaged but had an intimate understanding of the issues and the need to strike the balance between protecting consumers and the market access our exporters depend upon.”

Good morning. Maidin mhaith. Guid moarnin’. Just arrived @duponline #DUP22. It’s their first conference since 2019. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson @J_Donaldson_MP to say "…I want us to build a better Northern Ireland, not just for those who share our unionism, but for all our people” I’m working for Reuters news agency & LBC News today. #DUP @duponline press officer John Robinson has said I won’t be allowed into the conference because I was at the Ireland’s Future conference. I was at the conference as a journalist, a paid interviewer. @nujofficial #DUP22

NEW: The Prince and Princess of Wales are in Northern Ireland today for a series of visits. William and Kate hold the titles Baron and Lady Carrickfergus.

https://twitter.com/niogov/status/1577978615861592066

The Royal couple have been to PIPS suicide prevention charity @PipsCharity in north Belfast, and cocktails are on the menu at the recently opened Trademarket outdoor street-food and retail market in Belfast city centre. I’m standing about in the rain! More to follow!😄

NEW: Concerning reports coming to me from Larne tonight regarding a serious bonfire incident. More to follow. NEW: Sad news.

NIAS statement:

New SOS NI Shailesh Vara

https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1545002010998603784

You can follow the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara here: @ShaileshVara

https://twitter.com/ShaileshVara/status/1544964301533990913