asked the Minister for Finance if any estimate is available of the net financial gain to this country, under the principal headings, each year since we joined the EEC.
Written Answers. - EEC Payments and Receipts.
125.
Information is available on Ireland's receipts by way of grants and subsidies from the European Communities and on Ireland's payments to the Communities. This information is set out in the attached statement, which also shows the amounts of loans approved for this country from Community sources.
The figures included in the statement for receipts by way of grants and subsidies represent the amounts of money actually received under the various headings during the years in question. They differ in some respects from the figures published in Annex II of the six monthly Reports to the Oireachtas on Developments in the European Communities which represent the amounts of grants and subsidies approved. This is because there is normally a time lag between the approval of grants and the date of their payment, with the result that receipts from the Community to date have been somewhat less than the amount of grants approved.
Following is the statement:—
Ireland's receipts from, and payments to, the European Communities during the period 1973 to 1977.
|
1973 |
1974 |
1975 |
1976 |
1977 |
|
|
£m |
£m |
£m |
£m |
£m |
|
|
(a) Receipts by way of Grants and Subsidies: |
|||||
|
FEOGA —Guarantee Section |
36.6 |
63.8 |
104.3 |
102.0 1 |
244.5 1 |
|
—Guidance Section |
— |
— |
0.4 |
3.0 |
7.3 |
|
European Social Fund |
— |
3.6 |
4.0 |
4.6 |
8.2 |
|
European Regional Development Fund |
— |
— |
1.8 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
|
Regional studies jointly financed by Ireland and the Communities |
|||||
|
Pilot projects and studies to combat proverty |
|||||
|
Research and Investment projects |
— |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
1.1 2 |
|
Projects in the hydrocarbons sector |
|||||
|
Moneys for miscellaneous surveys and studies carried out by Irish agencies for the Commission |
|||||
|
Total3 |
36.6 |
67.6 |
110.9 |
118.6 |
269.6 |
|
(b) Payments to the European Communities and other Contributions arising as a result of membership: |
|||||
|
£m |
£m |
£m |
£m |
£m |
|
|
Contribution to the budget of the European Communities |
5.3 |
6.7 |
9.8 |
13.4 |
22.1 |
|
Contribution to the EIB |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
Contribution to the ECSC |
|||||
|
Contribution to EURATOM research programmes |
— |
0.3 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
1.6 |
|
Miscellaneous contributions |
|||||
|
Total |
6.1 |
7.8 |
10.7 |
14.9 |
23.9 |
|
Net receipts, i.e. difference between totals at (a) and (b) |
30.5 |
59.8 |
100.2 |
103.7 |
245.7 |
Notes:
1 Receipts under the Guarantee Section include amounts of £24 million in 1976 and £128 million in 1977 for the UK and Italian MCA import subsidies which have been administered by Ireland in respect of Irish exports to the UK and Italy since 17 May 1976.
2 This figure includes £0.59 million in respect of amounts approved for projects relating to hydrocarbons and uranium in 1977. Information is not available on amounts actually received in 1977.
3 In addition to the receipts figures shown in the table, receipts also arise as a result of Community regulations on social security for migrant workers. Ireland's receipts under this heading were £1.5 million in 1973, £1.3 million in 1974, £2.0 million in 1975, £2.2 million in 1976 and £3.3 million in 1977.
Loans approved for Ireland from 1973 to 1977 were as follows:
|
1973 |
1974 |
1975 |
1976 |
1977 |
|
|
EIB |
11.1 |
24.8 |
22.0 |
35.4 |
52.1 |
|
ECSC |
0.2 |
— |
1.2 |
— |
— |
|
Community loan |
— |
— |
— |
156.0 |
— |
|
Total loans approved |
11.3 |
24.8 |
23.2 |
191.4 |
52.1 |