asked the Minister for Finance when details of the cross-Border schemes will be announced; and when allocations of money will be made.
253.
Written Answers. - Cross-Border Schemes.
252.
asked the Minister for Finance when the following schemes will be approved by the EEC Commission and if he will give details of what they will entail: (a) rural electrification, (b) development of tourist accommodation, (c) improvement of telecommunications. (d) minor roads, (e) craft industries, (f) transport facilities and (g) the development of Glenveigh national park under the regional scheme.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together.
Following extensive informal consultations between my Department and the EEC Commission, the special Border programme was formally submitted to the Commission on 24 October last. At that stage it was firmly believed that the programme would be examined at the meeting of the regional fund committee in early December and approved by the Commission immediately afterwards. However, because other member states had not been so prompt in submitting their programmes, the non-quota section was not placed on the agenda for that meeting. It is now hoped that the programme will be examined at the next meeting of the fund committee, which is scheduled for next May; this would allow the Commission to give its formal approval to the programme in May or June.
The programme includes outline provision for the categories of expenditure mentioned by the Deputy, with the exception of rural electrification, and identifies certain individual items such as the Glenveigh national park. However, until the programme has been formally adopted by the Commission, it will not be possible to make any firm commitments about allocations of money. For the same reason, it is not possible at this stage to make any detailed announcement about what the various measures and items will entail.