Vol. 535 No. 5
155 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Finance if funding under INTERREG III and under the new peace programme will be provided towards the establishment of a permanent jamboree campsite at Castle Saunderson Estate, County Cavan, for the scouting movement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13195/01]
The Department of Finance does not have an implementation or grant-making role under either of these programmes. Decisions in relation to grant making will fall to the designated implementation agency for each measure of the programmes. All project proposals will require to be evaluated by the implementing agency in line with project selection and assessment criteria agreed by the relevant programme monitoring committee. Final decisions on funding will fall to the designated implementation agency.
The new Programme for Peace and Reconciliation was approved by the European Commission on 22 March 2001. The programme complement is currently being finalised. This document, which must be agreed by the programme monitoring committee, sets out a range of implementation issues, including the method for delivery of funds, detailed measure descriptions, and project selection criteria. This phase of development must be completed by the middle of June next and project proposals will be invited shortly thereafter. The INTERREG programme with Northern Ireland is at a preliminary stage of discussion with the European Commission and funding will not come on stream under this programme until later this year.
