asked the Minister for Finance the amount, in sterling, received from the EEC Regional Fund in each year since 1973; and the location of the principal projects which benefited from the grants.
Written Answers . - EEC Regional Fund .
129.
: The European Regional Development Fund was established in March 1975 and the first projects were approved for fund assistance later that year. A total of 267 projects throughout the country have been approved for assistance to date. Receipts from the fund for the years 1975 to 1977 were as follows: 1975, £1.8 million; 1976, £8.5 million; 1977, £8.5 million.
It should be noted that these figures refer to cash receipts. They differ from the figures for the fund published in Annex II of the six-monthly Reports to the Oireachtas on Developments in the European Communities which represent the amount of grants approved. There is a time lag between approval of grants and actual payments which are made pari passu with national expenditure on the projects, so that receipts from the fund are less than amounts approved.
The following is a list, including location, of the principal projects approved for assistance from the fund. For the purposes of the reply the principal projects have been taken as those projects the estimated total cost of which was £1 million or more.
Industrial Investment: Edbrow Holdings/Thomas Thompson, Carlow, Co. Carlow; Lapple (Ireland) Ltd., Carlow, Co. Carlow; Gypsum Industries Ltd., Kingscourt, Co. Cavan; Wellman Ltd., Mullagh, Co. Cavan; Syntex (Ireland) Ltd., Clarecastle, Co. Clare; Hanimex Ltd., Little Island, Co. Cork; Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta, Cobh, Co. Cork; Diatherm Teo., Gweedore, Co. Donegal; Organon Processing (Ireland) Ltd., Finglas, Co. Dublin; Warner Lambert (Ireland) Ltd., Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin; Contek Teo., Carraroe, Co. Galway; Monmara Teo., Spiddal, Co. Galway; Steiner Ltd., Carnmore, Co. Galway; Thermo King, Galway, Co. Galway; Burlington Industries Inc., Tralee, Co. Kerry; Telemechanique Electrique, Celbridge, Co. Kildare; Lawther Products B.V., Granagh, Co. Kilkenny; Newpeer Aluminium Ltd., Limerick, Co. Limerick; Wyeth Ltd., Askeaton, Co. Limerick; A. B. Thorsman Ltd., Drogheda, Co. Louth; Centronics Data Computer Corporation, Drogheda, Co. Louth; Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Westport, Co. Mayo; Hollister Inc., Ballina, Co. Mayo; Shamrock Forge and Tool Co., Ballina, Co. Mayo; Travenol Laboratories, Castlebar and Swinford, Co. Mayo and Tuam, Co. Galway; Nippon Ltd., Ballivor, Co. Meath; Basta/Industrial Foundries, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo; Tampax Ltd., Tipperary, Co. Tipperary; Bliss International Ltd., Athlone, Co. Westmeath; Acro Medical Products, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Infrastructural Investment related to industrial development: Provision of sewage treatment works for Shannon Industrial zone, Co. Clare; Augmentation of water supply to Cork City and Harbour area, Co. Cork; Cork Harbour Development Plan (party) Co. Cork; Little Island-Glashaboy water supply scheme, Co. Cork; Construction of new Liffey bridge at Memorial Road, Dublin, Co. Dublin; Extension of the telex exchange in Dublin; Naas sewerage scheme, Co. Kildare; Kilkenny-Freshford water supply scheme (stage I), Co. Kilkenny; Extension to trunk telephone exchange in Limerick; Construction of new inner relief road and bridge in Drogheda, Co. Louth, stages 1 and 2; Ballina regional water supply scheme, Co. Mayo; Dublin-Rosslare National Primary Route (NII)—two sections, Co. Dublin and Co. Wicklow.
Disadvantaged Areas Infrastructure: Conversion to automatic working of Buncrana-Lifford-Ramelton telephone exchange group, Co. Donegal; Conversion to automatic working of Letterkenny telephone exchange group, Co. Donegal; North East Kerry water supply scheme; Conversion to automatic working of telephone exchanges in the Castlebar group, Co. Mayo.