John Bruton
Question:21 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications the way in which Ireland will benefit from the STAR programme this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telecommunications Services Funding.
Under a Commission of the European Community decision of 22 October 1987, Ireland qualified for 50 million ECUs, or £38.8 million under the STAR Programme — the Special Telecommunications Action for Regional Development. In the period 1987 to date, £27.4 million has been drawn down, of which £5.2 million was drawn down in 1991; the balance remaining, £11.4 million, will be drawn down before the end of the programme in 1991.
The approved projects under the STAR Programme will contribute substantially towards the provision of the national infrastructure required to make advanced telecommunications services available to business enterprises thereby enabling them to operate successfully from most parts of the country, and not only from Dublin. When completed, the projects will also provide the structure for integration of the national digital transmission network into the new advanced networks being set up across Europe and enable Irish enterprise to compete on an equal footing with their counterparts from countries in the highly industrialised core regions of the Community.
Can the Minister give us any idea of the projects referred to?
I will make the details of the projects referred to available to the Deputy but they cover the whole range of telecommunications infrastructure, in particular the digital area.