The international fund for Ireland: Some findings on its patterns of expenditure

Abstract

The International Fund for Ireland (IFI) was established by the Irish and British governments as part of the Anglo‐Irish Agreement of November 1985. In 1994 the total resources available to the Fund were approximately £280 million. Both Unionists and Nationalists have expressed opposition to the Fund and concern over the Fund's objectives. Despite the considerable degree of controversy which surrounds the Fund, there has been no systematic analysis of the Fund's expenditure. This article begins such an analysis by presenting findings on the geographical distribution of the Fund's expenditure over the period 1986/87–1994. Findings on the distribution of the Fund's expenditure by the various initiatives and programmes which it sponsors (eg Business Enterprise, Tourism, etc) are also presented. The article also presents detailed findings on the allocation of the Fund's expenditure in one particular area of Northern Ireland, West Belfast. A number of policy recommendations are made on methodological issues surrounding the evaluation of the Fund and measures which the Fund could implement to reduce the suspicion and controversy which surround it.