Mr President, the international fund for Ireland represents an immediate and important means for the European Union to clearly demonstrate its support for the consolidation of the peace process that is now taking place in my country. In this regard I urge the House to support the amendment adopted in the Committee on Budgets last week seeking to substantially raise the level of the Community's contribution to the international fund for Ireland. In doing so, I believe that Parliament can send out a resounding message to the people of Ireland on both sides of the border that it is fully behind the democratic peace process that is now taking place.

This appropriation is intended to cover the Community's contribution to the financing of the international fund for Ireland in order to promote both economic and social progress and to encourage contacts, to encourage dialogue and reconciliation between the peoples of Ireland. No more noble objective could be set for the European Union than to assist in helping to achieve such reconciliation and in helping to promote economic and social progress.

I fully accept that the European Union will be able to contribute more in the months to come to the peace process by way of the task force that has been established, with a view to promoting reconstruction and reconciliation in the border counties, all of which have been severely affected by the troubles of the past 25 years. In the meantime, the immediate needs and political expectations can be met through support of Thursday's vote on the budget - the amendment to raise the resources of the international fund for Ireland from ECU 12 million to ECU 40 million.

I welcome the action of the Budgets Committee to dramatically increase support for the IFI and call on all Members of the House to lend their support to this initiative next Thursday.