No approach made to wind up US fund for Ireland, says Roche

US AUTHORITIES have made no approach to the Irish Government about winding up the International Fund for Ireland, despite reports Republican representatives in Congress propose legislation to abolish it, according to Minister of State Dick Roche.

Mr Roche said the Government had been in contact with the UK authorities and there was a consensus on the “continuing value of the fund”. The Irish and British governments established the fund in 1986 to promote economic development and encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Northern Ireland.

The US contributes about $50 million annually to the fund and Mr Roche said “budget discussions on Capitol Hill would continue until the end of March and there would be a significant Irish presence, from whatever side of the House, in place on March 17th”.

Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Seán Barrett called for the matter to be raised "at the highest level" following a report in the Irish Echofrom a Republican Congressman "that he proposes to table a Bill to abolish this fund. The piece contains several apparently contradictory quotes, including a statement from the ambassador to Washington. As the Minister of State will appreciate, this is causing some alarm as to the level of confusion as to what is the exact position of the Irish Government or, as the Minister of State noted, of the British Government", given the "change of responsibility in the House of Representatives".

Mr Roche said existing resources would see the fund finish its current programmes by the end of 2013, but a detailed analysis by its board showed there was “much work yet to be done to pursue reconciliation”. He was aware of the report and said “the effort will continue to be made to ensure the fund exists as long as it has a role to play”.