asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent of co-operation between the Irish and British Governments in the EEC Cross-Border Regional Development Programme.
Written Answers. - EEC Cross-Border Regional Development Programme.
477.
The European Regional Development Fund of the European Communities contributed 50 per cent of the cost of the Cross-Border Communications Study for the Derry and Donegal Area, which was completed and published in December 1977. The amount involved was £35,000 divided between the two Governments. As regards the implementation of the recommendations of the study applications for ERDF aid in respect of road and telecommunications projects in that part of the study area which lies in County Donegal have been accepted with total commitments to date from ERDF funds being slightly in excess of £1.6 million; a roughly similar amount of ERDF funds has been made available for projects in that part of the study area which lies in Northern Ireland.
It is anticipated also that Border areas in Ireland will benefit under the recently established non-quota section of the ERDF. As the Deputy will be aware, 5 per cent of the fund has been set aside for special Community-related projects over and beyond national quota allocations. Following representations by the Irish Government at the time when the fund regulation was under consideration by the Council it was accepted that projects in Irish Border areas would be eligible for consideration. The Commission of the European Communities has recently adopted and forwarded to the Council of Ministers for approval a number of proposals for measures under this heading including a proposal to make available 24 million units of account (£16 million approximately) for tourism and craft industry projects in the Border areas. While the details have yet to be worked out, the Government naturally welcome the proposal and will be pressing for its early adoption by the Council of Ministers. We will be working in close co-operation with the relevant British and Northern Ireland authorities in relation to all aspects of this proposal.
In addition to assistance being made available through the ERDF the European Communities are also assisting cross-Border studies presently under way in the Erne catchment area and in the Mourne Herring Fishery under Article 266 of the Communities' budget.