By Jayne McCormack & Brendan Hughes
BBC News NI political correspondent
Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris has held talks with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about restoring Stormont at the launch of a new funding scheme for Northern Ireland.
Mr Heaton-Harris met the Irish Prime Minister in Belfast on Monday at the Peace Plus event.
The scheme, which is funded by the UK, Ireland and EU will see £858m for NI and border counties.
The money is being made available from 2021 until 2027.
The funding announcement comes at a time when Northern Ireland has no functioning devolved government.
It collapsed last year when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) withdrew in protest against post-Brexit trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The DUP has said the Windsor Framework deal – struck by the European Union and UK Government earlier this year to reform the Northern Ireland Protocol – does not go far enough to address its concerns.
‘A definitive solution’
Mr Varadkar and Mr Heaton-Harris briefly discussed the Stormont stalemate, while the EU’s chief negotiator, Maros Šefčovič, told reporters at the event the framework was a “definitive solution to all outstanding issues”.
Mr Šefčovič added: “On both our sides, with the UK Government and on the side of the European Union, we know that that’s as far as we could go.”
The UK government is contributing £730m to the total allocation of the Peace Plus scheme.
It will deliver investment across six key themes designed to ensure the continued economic, social and environmental development of Northern Ireland.
Mr Varadkar said it “would make a big difference to people’s lives”.
Image source, Brian Lawless
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is in Belfast on Monday for the announcement of the funding
A small group of victims campaigners also turned up at the launch to protest against the UK government’s controversial legacy bill.
It is due to pass its final hurdle in the Lords this week, despite opposition from political parties and victims’ group.
Protesters held signs urging the Irish government to intervene to prevent the bill from taking effect.
Campaigners staged a protest at the Peace Plus event
It previously said it would consider taking legal action against the UK over the legislation.
Speaking on Monday, he said his government had urged London to pause the bill but said he had not yet decided whether to take an interstate legal case.
“Before we make a decision we need legal advice from the attorney general, which should come in the next few weeks,” he added.
What is Peace Plus?
Peace Plus is being managed by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Image source, PAcemaker
Londonderry’s Peace Bridge is one of the major projects in Northern Ireland that EU funding helped to build
Some of the best known projects include the Peace Bridge over the River Foyle and the regeneration of the Girdwood Barracks in north Belfast.
The current scheme replaced a pre-Brexit 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.
