The clock is ticking for charities in Northern Ireland.
Charities in the region are poised to lose millions in EU funds over the next year as a result of Brexit, prompting warnings their survival is at stake. These NGOs claim that the UK government’s replacement fund will leave a hole in their finances and potentially exacerbate social inequalities.
It’s an issue in the spotlight this week as US President Joe Biden tours the island to mark the 25th anniversary of the landmark Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of violence between British trade unionists and Irish nationalists in the region. Senior EU officials are also expected to attend more ceremonies in Belfast next week, according to several officials with knowledge of the plans.
At times the celebrations have been overshadowed by the difficulties Northern Ireland is currently experiencing. These include a political crisis that has left it without a functioning government and in a difficult post-Brexit position between the EU and the UK – essentially it remains part of the EU’s single market despite being in the UK
Northern Ireland’s NGOs say they are now embroiled in these disputes. In the past they have relied heavily on the so-called European Social Fund, a pot of EU money aimed at creating jobs, particularly in disadvantaged communities. But the region will be cut off from that budget in 2024 when new post-Brexit rules come into effect.
The UK government has promised to replace that money and recently unveiled a two-year £57million fund to help Northern Ireland “take back control” from the EU.
But those on the brink of losing EU money warn the amount doesn’t meet their needs.
Gráinne Close, director of Mencap in Northern Ireland, a charity for people with learning difficulties, told POLITICO that the EU’s social fund and the UK government’s so-called Shared Prosperity Fund “cover very different priorities”. Promise to set up a replacement fund after Brexit.
The UK’s new cash pot aims to get individuals back into the labor market, while EU funding focuses on improving the social inclusion of marginalized groups.
“A large proportion of our participants would not be eligible under the new fund,” Close said.
Northern Ireland’s Equality Commissioner, Geraldine McGahey, also pointed the finger at Westminster, claiming “everything is done at the last minute”, arguing “there is no transparency as to how that level of funding is determined or how the investment plan is drawn up . ”
McGahey claimed that NGOs in Northern Ireland were losing £23 million per year from 2024, arguing that disadvantaged communities will bear the brunt.
The Women’s Center in Derrya group campaigning for women’s equality and access to education and jobs has claimed that the loss of EU funds has already led to staff layoffs.
The NGO wrote on Twitter: “We received devastating news today that our ESF funds will not be replaced! This is affecting Derry services to women and we are also losing six skilled amazing staff today! Shame!”
Close, the Mencap director, confirmed that “there will be a reduction [in our services]we have to deliver differently.”
The EU’s social fund resulted in more than 77,000 people in the region developing new job skills, including 11,000 who found jobs, according to figures from the Northern Ireland Department for Business. In total, the fund sent around €210 million to Northern Ireland under the 2014-2020 budget, while the UK government contributed €185 million to the same effort.
A spokesman for the European Commission noted that the EU will continue to offer Northern Ireland some funding after 2023 through the so-called “PEACE PLUS programme”, which supports peace and reconciliation in the region.
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