MEP warns Mayo and the West could lose out under proposed EU funding shake-up
Midlands-North-West MEP opposes plans to centralise regional development funding, saying Mayo and the wider Western region still need targeted EU investment
Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly has warned that Mayo and the wider Northern and Western Region could be significantly disadvantaged under proposed changes to the way European Union regional development funding is allocated.
Speaking during a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Agriculture, Regional Development and Budgets Committees in Brussels yesterday (Wednesday, June 3), MEP Mullooly voiced strong opposition to plans that would centralise EU regional funding into a single national fund model, removing ring-fenced funding for individual regions.
The MEP said the proposed reforms risk overlooking the specific needs of counties such as Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan by transferring greater control of funding decisions to national governments.
“For EU grant aid and regional development purposes, the Northern and Western Region stretches from Galway northwards and includes Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan,” MEP Mullooly said.
“There is a proposal before the European Parliament that would radically change how this funding is distributed by creating a single national fund with no regional funding ring-fenced by Brussels. I am fundamentally opposed to that proposal.”
MEP Mullooly argued that while Ireland’s national economic indicators remain strong, they do not accurately reflect the realities faced by many rural and peripheral communities.
He pointed to what he described as a “tale of two halves” within the Northern and Western Region, where economic activity in Galway City can mask weaker performance elsewhere.
According to figures cited by the MEP, Co. Galway accounts for almost 40 percent of the region’s economic output and 58 per cent of employment in IDA-supported companies. However, he said many rural areas, including Mayo, continue to face significant challenges in attracting investment and economic growth.
The MEP highlighted that while the Eastern and Midland Region recorded GDP per capita equivalent to 268 percent of the EU average in 2024 — the highest in Europe — the Northern and Western Region remained close to the EU average, with parts of the Border Region sitting at just 70 percent of the EU average.
“That is why targeted regional funds are so important,” Mullooly said.
He also expressed concern about reports suggesting the future role of the European Commission’s regional development department, DG REGIO, could be reduced as part of wider reforms.
MEP Mullooly called for the continuation of targeted programmes such as the Just Transition Fund, which he said had been crucial in supporting regions that feel left behind by economic growth elsewhere.
He confirmed he intends to table amendments aimed at retaining key elements of the fund in future EU regional development programmes.
Closer to home, the MEP said he has begun engaging with local authorities across the region, including discussions with senior officials in Leitrim County Council, and believes every county council should play a direct role in shaping future EU investment priorities.
Addressing fellow MEPs in Brussels, he stressed that regional assemblies and local authorities “know best” when it comes to identifying local needs and opportunities.
“The regions, the regional assemblies and the local authorities know best,” he told the committee. “It is important that they remain partners in shaping how regional development funding is delivered.”
The debate comes as discussions continue across Europe on the future structure of EU cohesion and regional development funding beyond the current programming period.