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McCarter dismayed at Fund threat
18.02.11
by Eamonn MacDermott
NEWS that US funding for the International Fund for
Ireland (IFI) could be under threat from Republican
plans to cut US government spending has been greeted
with dismay by the former chairman of the fund
Willie McCarter.
The threat to the funding comes from Republicans in
the US House of Representatives who are pushing for
a reduction in US government spending.
Currently the US contributes $17 million (€12.5
million) to the fund, which was set up 25 years ago
to "encourage dialogue between nationalists and
unionists throughout Ireland".
While the US is not the only contributor, a loss of
the American contribution would put the future of
the fund in jeopardy.
The Republic Party controls the House of
Representatives, the lower house in the American
Congress. If they vote to cut the IFI’s funding the
measure will still have to be approved by Senate,
which is controlled by Barack Obama’s Democratic
Party.
Buncrana man Willie McCarter, who was chair of the
IFI for over 12 years said that while he recognises
the need to make savings, cutting the IFI would be a
disaster.
He said: “Through the IFI the US has done tremendous
work throughout Ireland in underpinning the peace
process.
“It will not be a good thing if funding is withdrawn
as the influence the US has exerted for little real
outlay could be replicated in other troubled areas
of the globe.” |
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Willie McCarter said:
“The IFI has been responsible for creating over
50,000 jobs in many areas where they have been badly
needed.
“Also in its own quiet way the fund offered hope for
the future across the country.
“There has always been a bi-partisan approach to the
fund in the US and I would hope that this would
continue and that funding would not be cut.”
Mr. McCarter said that the achievements of the fund
were numerous.
He added: “I suppose one of the major projects
associated with the fund was the Erne/Shannon
waterways link up. |
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Willie McCarter. |
“The fund provided €1
million towards a feasibility study and then
contributed another €5 million towards the completed
project which effectively opened up a whole swathe
of the country that had been starved of investment
in the past.
“But the fund is also responsible for hundreds of
local projects. Things like the Tullyarvan Mill, the
revamp of Buncrana Main Street, the Inishowen
Gateway Hotel were all part-funded by the fund.
“One of the great strengths of the fund was that in
its own unique way it opened up the road for funding
for projects as it was a ‘first on the table’
funder. In other words it gave the first funding and
made it possible for projects to access other
funding.”
Willie McCarter continued: “The IFI enabled a lot of
projects to go ahead that might not have done so
otherwise and it also meant that communities then
became interested in those projects and it brought
people together who may never have had dealings with
each other.
“I would hope that this decision would be looked at
again and the funding left untouched.” |
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