EU Parliament regional development committee begins Irish visit
A delegation from the European Parliament Regional Development Committee has started a three-day visit to Ireland, with a focus on the Midlands--North-West constituency.
The delegation is in Ireland on what one Irish MEP said was a "fact-finding mission".
Midlands--North-West MEP Maria Walsh said that the visiting MEPs will visit various projects across Galway city, Galway county, and the Midlands area between today (Monday, February 24), and Wednesday (February 26).
Walsh said: "Having proposed the idea for the mission last year, I am delighted to welcome MEPs from Spain, Portugal and Slovakia to Ireland today.
"I first proposed the idea for this mission because the Midlands--North-West requires targeted EU support to address the income inequities that continue to persist.
"While Ireland ranks second in the EU in terms of GDP per capita, the GDP per capita in the Midlands was only 26% of the Irish national average in 2020," she added.
According to Walsh, this inequality has "serious knock-on effects".
In 2019, the EU downgraded the Northern and Western Region of Ireland to a region "in transition" because incomes in the west are lower than the EU average.
It is the only region in Ireland to be classified as such, and "represents the territorial inequities as well as the rural-urban divide that exists to this day", Walsh said.
"During this mission, MEPs will witness these challenges for themselves, but I am proud that they will also see the cutting-edge creativity and innovation the west of Ireland has to offer.
The visiting delegation will travel to the Port of Galway, the Western Rail Corridor, the Living Bog project in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, and Atlantic Technical University (ATU) Mountbellew.
It is intended for a range of topics to be discussed during these visits by the parliament regional development committee, including EU funding; infrastructure needs; urban regeneration; rehabilitation of peatlands; the Just Transition; rural development; and research and innovation.
Walsh said: "This mission also allows me to speak with constituents across the Midlands--North-West about the work of the Regional Development Committee.
"It is a lesser known but hugely impactful committee in the European Parliament. Its aim is to reduce inequalities between urban and rural areas, ensuring that regions like the midlands, border and western areas receive the EU funding we need.
"The committee oversees the allocation of key EU funds, particularly the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund," the Fine Gael MEP said.
"Between 2021 and 2027, Ireland will benefit from almost €1 billion of Cohesion Policy funding. This funding supports job creation, infrastructure development, and sustainable growth, key factors allowing our region to thrive," Walsh added.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee is to come to Ireland in April for a similar type of visit.
The visit was already confirmed in December, although the exact date was only decided recently.
The parliament agriculture committee will visit Ireland from April 14-16. It is understood that the nitrates derogation will be a hot topic during that visit.
Midlands--North-West MEP Barry Cowen said last week: "Significant progress by Irish farmers and other stakeholders in improving water quality must be acknowledged by the [European] Commission when considering the extension of Ireland’s nitrates derogation post-2025.
"I look forward to welcoming the [Agriculture] Committee mission to Ireland in April to highlight the advancements and innovations driving these improvements," Cowen added.
