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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Dec 1988

Vol. 385 No. 2

Written Answers. - EC Assistance.

77.

asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate in respect of the seven regions established by the Government for EC structural funds the following: (1) the exact process of consultation with local groups which has taken place to date (2) the number of such consultative meetings, if any, that have been held (3) the venue of those meetings (4) the attendance list indicating the people who were involved in the consultative process and (5) the duration of the meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

(1) Consultation with local interests is being carried out through seven advisory groups (one per sub-region) which were set up to assist the working groups who are preparing the operational programmes for the sub-regions. There is further scope for local input through the working groups whose membership includes the city and county managers in each area. Other interested parties are also free to make submissions for consideration by the relevant group.

(2) The advisory groups have all met once to-date.

(3) The venues of the advisory group meetings were Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Monaghan and Portlaoise.

(4) The advisory groups comprise the chairpersons of the main local authorities (county councils, county borough corporations, borough corporations and urban district councils with population in excess of 15,000) in each sub-region and the nominees of nine representative bodies with an interest in development —CII, CIF. FUE, ICTU, IFA, ICMSA, ICOS, Macra na Feirme and the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland. The Secretaries of the advisory groups are supplied by my Department. As the Deputy is aware, it is not the practice to name persons in the House.

(5) The initial meetings of advisory groups were generally of two to four hours duration.

78.

asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate in respect of the seven separate regions which were established by the Government for the purposes of the preparation of the integrated programme which would benefit from assistance from the EC the following: (1) the number of working group meetings which have taken place since the committee for the regions was established, (2) the terms of reference which were provided for the committee by the Government, (3) if consultants have been employed to prepare partial or complete plans for submission via Dublin to Brussels, (4) the cost of such consultants' reports, (5) whether competitive tenders were sought and (6) the date of completion of such reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The reply to the Deputy's question is as follows:

(1) With the exception of the Dublin area, each working group has held two meetings since establishment in addition to the inaugural meetings addressed by my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn. In the case of Dublin, only one meeting has been held but a steering committee which supervised the earlier stages of the operation met on a number of occasions prior to this.

(2) The terms of reference provided for the working groups were as follows:

(a) To identify and analyse the economic and social problems, potentials and prospects of the area;

(b) To identify a medium to long term overall strategy for the development of the area;

(c) To a prepare, within such an overall strategy, a five year programme which will be concerned with (i) the social and economic development of the entire area; (ii) establishing the priorities to be given to particular developments and the links and interdependence between them in the context of the overall strategy for the area.

(d) To examine the ways in which financial interventions are needed and can be made available from (i) Central Government funding sources, having particular regard to the existing and foreseeable future constraints on Ireland's public finances, or other domestic public and private agencies; (ii) the various EC funding sources.

(e) To propose arrangements for the implementation of the programme and projects therein, so as to ensure maximum co-ordination of inputs by all agencies involved.

(3) Consultants were engaged by my Department to assist with the preparation of a programme for Dublin city and county. Consultants have also been engaged by some local authorities on their own account to advise on the preparation of programmes. I have no responsibility in relation to the appointment of the latter consultants.

(4) It is not the normal practice to give the cost of a competitive tender received. Under Government contract procedures, all information in regard to tenders should be treated as strictly confidential between the tendering firm and the contracting authority.

(5) Competitive tenders were sought for the Dublin consultancy.

(6) The Dublin consultants are scheduled to complete their report by mid-January 1989.

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