The decision by the U.S. to continue a financial contribution to the International Fund for Ireland is to be welcomed.
Frankly, though, we are not sure if the word "continue" applies.
Perhaps the better word would be "resurrect."
The IFI support from Washington seemingly went up in smoke last year as a result of "rescission" spending cuts implemented by the State Department.
This raised alarm on both sides of the Atlantic.
On this side a group of Congress members from both parties wrote a letter to President Trump and the State Department seeking a reprieve for a fund that was established as part of the 1985 Anglo Irish Agreement.
The letter, dated September 1, 2025, was signed at the top by Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle.
There were thirteen signatories in all, Democrat and Republican, and all of them members of the Friends of Ireland caucus on Capitol Hill.
The letter stated in part: "As strong supporters of the promotion and maintenance of peace on the island of Ireland, we write to you to request that the Administration not rescind any foreign assistance funds authorized by Congress to fulfill the United States’ contributions to the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).
"Since its establishment under the Anglo-Irish Agreement Support Act of 1986 – the result of a bipartisan initiative of President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill – the IFI has been the vehicle for Congressional support for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
"Through political negotiations, diplomacy, and grass-roots peace-building efforts, the United States has shown a strong commitment to preserving and advancing peace in the region.
"Our engagement is important because the cornerstone of change – the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement – is an ongoing process to bring about an end to decades of armed conflict as well as to enable future reconciliation.
It laid out a series of steps to allow all sides to de-escalate and demilitarize established institutions that create space for communities to pursue non-violent political change.
"Following on from the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement just a few years ago, support to the IFI demonstrates the United States’ firm commitment to maintaining and building upon the progress achieved over the past three decades."
We can assume that somebody read the letter even though there was no formal response from either the White House or the State Department.
Regardless, there has now been a response in the form of a $4 million allocation to the IFI, a sum which matches an allocation by the Irish government.
So why the change of heart?
That's if there has been a change. Maybe the IFI money just got lost in the confusion that followed the rescission measures.
It's possible that the IFi entered various conversations in Washington on Saint Patrick's Day.
The letter from the Congress members may well have prompted a reprieve. U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh may have expressed his support.
It's for sure a feather in Walsh's cap that he got to announce the $4 million stipend.
As things go in the world of U.S. aid this is not a big sum of money.
But to the IFI it is a significant windfall.
The money will be used to aid and underpin a range of projects that in turn aid and underpin the peace process.
And that's a good thing, now and in the coming months.
