Chairperson’s Welcome

There have been many achievements and milestones which are detailed in this site. One important event that occurred during my term as Chairperson was the first meeting between the BMW Regional Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive. This meeting was held with Mr. Gerry Kelly, MLA, Junior Minister at the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, in Stormont Castle, Belfast in 2008.

My vision and hope for the is that the Assemblies would be delegated more powers in the years ahead.  Regions are the cornerstone of EU regional policy and it is now more important than ever to enhance the functions that we have. I am calling on Government to devolve the administration (direct budgetary allocation) of Structural Funds to the Assemblies as is the case in many other EU States. The Assembly has a well deserved reputation for the effective and efficient management of EU Programmes but unlike most other states, Ireland’s Regional Assemblies are not directly involved in budgetary allocations or project approvals. The times we live in are significantly different to when the Assemblies were first established and it is now more important than ever not only to retain this new regional structure, but to enhance its powers and functions which can ultimately benefit the country as a whole.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the other Chairpersons who guided the Assembly through the initial negotiations with the EU Commission in Brussels. These were uncharted waters and a new direction for local councillors who accredited themselves well over the initial years.

The Regional Assemblies are the only Managing Authorities with a democratic mandate, in that locally elected councillors have an input. The EU at times can seem a far and distant place and agencies like the Regional Assembly help to bridge that gap between Ireland and the EU Commission and provide a link between people at a local level and officials in Brussels.

Finally, I wish to thank my fellow councillors, the Director and staff of the Assembly and the various Government Departments for their help and assistance during my term as Chairperson.