Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA said, “The announcement today of £858m of Peace Plus funding is to be welcomed. That these monies have been promised on many occasions does not detract from today’s belated announcement of spending commitments over the next 4-5 years. We also welcome our guests from the EU and from the Republic of Ireland, who have provided around £130m or just over 15% of that total.  While there may be a perception that this funding is coming from the largesse of the EU, and 15% is indeed welcome, it must not detract from the fact that the majority of the funding is coming from our own nation. If Maroš Šefčovič and Leo Varadkar can find their way to send more funding to help mitigate the impact of the imposition of the Protocol on Northern Ireland, that will also be gratefully accepted.”