Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Mar 1992

Vol. 416 No. 6

Written Answers. - EC Budgetary Proposals.

Séamus Pattison

Question:

60 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the precise steps he will be taking to co-ordinate the Irish Government's position regarding the Delors II package concerning EC Structural Funds and the post Maastricht Cohesion Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

72 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline, (a) the Government's response to the EC budgetary proposals put forward by Mr. Jacques Delors and agreed by the Commission at its meeting on 11 February and (b) the likely extent of financial aid for Ireland under the package; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 72 together.

An interdepartmental committee has been established chaired by an Assistant Secretary of my Department, to co-ordinate the views of the Departments concerned with the Delors II package. It will ensure, through the interdepartmental committee on EC matters chaired by the Minister of State for European Affairs, that as the negotiations proceed Ireland's stance will be fully co-ordinated, that the Government will be kept informed of developments and any necessary Government decisions sought as appropriate.

Generally speaking, the Government welcome the main thrust of the recent Commission proposals, which we regard as a good starting point for the negotiations. Our main concern will be to ensure that the ceiling on own resources will be adequate to cover the expenditure envisaged, in particular, the cost of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, a substantial increase in the Structural Funds and a sizeable new Cohesion Fund.

The extent of financial aid which will be available to Ireland clearly will depend on the outcome of the negotiations. The Commission has proposed that there should be an increase of two-thirds in the resources made available to the Objective 1 regions through the Structural Funds and that, taking account of the new Cohesion Fund, there could be a doubling of the overall resources for the four countries covered by the new fund, i.e. Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portugal.