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<p><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt">May 19, 2005 (5:35 p.m. EDT)</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt">No. 90</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt">CANADA CONTRIBUTES $2 MILLION </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt">TO THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR IRELAND</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced that Canada will contribute
$2 million to the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“I am very pleased to announce this four-year contribution from the Government of
Canada’s Global Peace and Security Fund. These funds will help the IFI promote
reconciliation and economic opportunities, especially for youth, in Northern Ireland,”
said Minister Pettigrew. “We are proud to help the Northern Ireland Peace Process
through the outstanding work of the Fund.”</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“The IFI has made an important contribution to the positive climate in Northern Ireland.
Not only did the better atmosphere foster the negotiation of the Good Friday
Agreement, relationships between nationalists and unionists at the community level
have improved markedly through IFI projects,” said Pat O’Brien, Member of Parliament
and Chair of the Canada-Ireland Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. </span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">The new funding brings Canada’s total contributions to $7,667,000 since the IFI was
established in 1986. The British and Irish governments approached Canada, along with
other countries with large populations of Irish origin, including Australia, New Zealand
and the United States, in order to establish the Fund.</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">As in the past, Canada will ask that its contribution be directed toward training
programs for young people to enhance their employment prospects, and to foster
mutual understanding and reconciliation between community groups from different
traditions in Ireland. These youth-oriented programs include overseas placements and
in 2003, 30 of the IFI's 51 placements were in Canada.</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 Federal Budget and is
therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.</span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">- 30 -</span></p>
<br>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">James Christoff</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Press Secretary</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">(613) 995-1851</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Media Relations Office</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Foreign Affairs Canada</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">(613) 995-1874</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></p>
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