British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Act, 1999

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Number 16 of 1999

BRITISH-IRISH AGREEMENT (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1999

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

SCHEDULE

Texts Of The Letters Exchanged By The Government Of Ireland And The Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Constituting The Supplementary Agreement

Number 16 of 1999

BRITISH-IRISH AGREEMENT (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1999

AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION IN RELATION TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND CONSTITUTED BY AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS DATED THE 18th DAY OF JUNE, 1999, AND THE 18th DAY OF JUNE, 1999, AND, FOR THAT PURPOSE, TO MAKE FURTHER PROVISION IN RELATION TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND ESTABLISHING IMPLEMENTATION BODIES DONE AT DUBLIN ON THE 8th DAY OF MARCH, 1999, AND TO AMEND THE BRITISH-IRISH AGREEMENT ACT, 1999. [25th June, 1999]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

“the Principal Act”.

1.—In this Act “the Principal Act” means the British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999 .

Amendment of Principal Act.

2.— The Principal Act is hereby amended by—

(a) the insertion in section 2(1) of the following definition:

“‘the supplementary Agreement’ means the Agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland constituted by the exchange of letters dated the 18th day of June, 1999, and the 18th day of June, 1999, the texts of which are set out in the Schedule to the British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Act, 1999.”,

and

(b) the substitution of the following section for section 23:

“23.—(1) Subject to subsection (4), the functions of the Body shall, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 2 of the Agreement, be those specified in Part 4 of Annex 1 to the Agreement.

(2) Subject to subsection (4), the arrangements specified in Parts 4 and 7 of Annex 2 to the Agreement shall, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 2 of the Agreement, apply to the Body.

(3) Paragraph 1 of Article 3 of the Agreement shall apply to the Body.

(4) Part 4 of each of the Annexes referred to in this section shall be construed in accordance with the supplementary Agreement.”.

Short title, collective citation and commencement.

3.— (1) This Act may be cited as the British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Act, 1999.

(2) The Principal Act and this Act may be cited as the British-Irish Agreement Acts, 1999.

(3) This Act shall come into operation on such day as the Minister for Finance may by order appoint.

SCHEDULE

Section 2 .

Texts Of The Letters Exchanged By The Government Of Ireland And The Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Constituting The Supplementary Agreement

18 June 1999

HE Mr David Andrews

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I have the honour to refer to recent discussions between our two Governments concerning the interpretation, in relation to post-1999 Structural Funds, of the terms “Community Initiatives”, “Initiatives” and “Cls” in Part 4 of Annex 1 and Part 4 of Annex 2 to the Agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland establishing Implementation Bodies done at Dublin on 8 March 1999 (“the Implementation Bodies Agreement”).

It is the understanding of my Government that it was the joint intention of our two Governments that the aforementioned terms would include any successor to the PEACE programme established within the framework of the European Community's Structural Funds and should be construed accordingly. If this is also the understanding of your Government, I have the honour to propose that this letter and your reply to that effect shall constitute an Agreement between our two Governments concerning the interpretation of these terms which shall enter into force on the date on which the Implementation Bodies Agreement enters into force.

Marjorie Mowlam

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

18 June 1999

Rt Hon Marjorie Mowlam

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have the honour to refer to your letter of 18 June 1999 concerning the interpretation of certain terms contained in the Agreement between our two Governments establishing Implementation Bodies done at Dublin on 8 March 1999. I confirm that it is also the understanding of my Government that it was the joint intention of our two Governments that the terms as specified in your letter would include any successor to the PEACE programme established within the framework of the European Community's Structural Funds and should be construed accordingly.

I have the honour to confirm that this letter and your letter shall constitute an Agreement between our two Governments concerning the interpretation of these terms which shall enter into force on the date on which the Implementation Bodies Agreement enters into force.

David Andrews T.D.

Minister for Foreign Affairs