asked the Minister for Finance if he will give favourable consideration to the organisation known as Enterprise Connacht-Donegal in its application for financial support in the operation of its five year development plan which it hopes to fund from the EC Regional Development Fund; and if he will make a statement of support for the aims and objectives of this organisation.
Written Answers. - Enterprise Connacht-Donegal.
146.
The application which this organisation made to the Commission of the European Communities was in respect of a study which they proposed to carry out with a view to the formulation of a development programme for north Connacht and Donegal. However, once the study was completed there would be pressure for implementation of the resulting programme, which would inevitably involve a contribution, either direct or indirect, from State funds. The implementation of a programme for a particular limited geographical area such as north Connacht and Donegal would of course only be possible at the cost of diverting scarce Exchequer financial resources from other expenditure programmes and from other geographical areas which, of course, would not be slow to respond with programmes of a similar nature. This diversion would lead to serious distortion in the pattern of public expenditure which must be based on national priorities determined by the Government.