By Michele Canning Smith
Where is the money? That's the question that Strabane Chamber of Commerce are demanding an answer to this week.
It follows a working breakfast with a highly influential EU delegation of MEPS which arrived in Strabane/Lifford this week.
Strabane Chamber of Commerce has been unable to pinpoint a single project in this area which has benefitted from a 998 euromillion windfall of Peace money from the Union.
worse than russia
Another 200 plus million pounds of euro is now available and the Chamber is determined that the Strabane and Lifford regions must get a slice of the cash.
Martin French and Mark O Neill of the Chamber spoke to the Strabane Chronicle after its meeting on Tuesday and both have said they are dumbfounded as to where the money, designated for border regions, has been invested into the Strabane/Lifford areas.
"The delegation were absolutely amazed at the infrastructure we have here, in a bad sense. One said it was worse than Russia, specifically pointing to the Lifford to Ballybofey Road as apalling.
"We don't see where the money is, in fact we don't even know how to access it. As a Chamber and together with Lifford we are going to contact the EU office in Belfast to see what the breakdown was and where the money has gone.
'We did ask the delegation to point out one project in this area that has benefited to date. We have seen nothing and it would appear that we have got nothing."
fight
As a result the Chamber together with Lifford, Castlederg, Sion Mills are to unite and fight for the new tranche of money which became available at the start of this year.
"We need cross border co-operation otherwise we are entitled to nothing.
"Anyone is welcome to contact us if they wish to accompany us in our campaign to get money.
"We need to get a slice of the cake in this area, the fear is that if we don't take action now, then that money will go to Eastern European countries. Basically this is our last chance," said the men.
golden
West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty said the visit will provide a golden opportunity for key stakeholders from throughout the North West to lobby, with a united voice, for enhanced support for the infrastructural and economic needs of the region
"The North West region was not included in the original plan of this powerful EU Committee's fact finding mission to Ireland.
"I would like to take this opportunity to commend my party colleague Bairbre de Brún MEP for securing, after intensive lobbying, the inclusion of this series of engagements with key stakeholders the North West in the itinerary of this delegation.
"At a time when we are preparing for the new territorial cooperation/ Interrreg measures it is a golden opportunity to make a unified case for the region directly to these MEPs," added Pat Doherty.
