THE  EU has helped foster peace at home and across the continent, and could also help fund long-awaited Enniskillen by-pass and other vital infrastructure projects in Fermanagh.

That’s the message from SDLP MLA Richie McPhillips, who said “at the end of the day, the EU is good for Ireland North and South” and will be voting to Remain in next week’s Brexit referendum. 

Mr McPhillips said one of the most under-explored aspects of the EU/UK debate had been the fact the EU was originally founded to prevent the outbreak of further world wars, and we should be thankful it had been successful in that aim over the past 70 years.  

“Most people tend to look at the economic side of things, and that is the most important aspect, but there is another very important point that has not been talked about enough,” he said. “For almost all of us, we have grown up in without war in Europe. A big part of the European community has been to keep Europe as a whole from a state of perpetual war.”  Mr McPhillips added the EU had also played a part in fostering peace in the North, particularly in helping promote cross-community and cross-border cooperation. 

“Without doubt, European funds have contributed to peace,” he said. “It’s now 18 years since the Good Friday Agreement, and the truth is since then the EU has funded many, many projects that have helped foster peace and encouraged people to work together.”

With regard the economic aspect, Mr McPhillips agreed that we currently weren’t getting enough from Europe, stating the north should be following the lead of those in the South in accessing funding for infrastructure projects. 

“I do believe we’re not getting sufficiently what we could be getting from Europe,” he said. 

“There are millions and millions there to be drawn down. For example, the Enniskillen by-pass, I cannot understand why that project has not tried to access European funding. Much like they have done in the 26 counties, we should be accessing that funding.”

Mr McPhillips referred to EU-funded projects such as the M1 from Dublin to Belfast, which he said is a “road that is so good it has encouraged people to travel” between the two cities. He said we should also be looking for EU funding for the A4 and A5 road projects, which would help bring jobs and investment to the west of the North. 

“One thing we have to be clear about is that the EU is far from perfect, like any other organisation,” he concluded. “We’re not going to make much of an impression from outside it, though.”