Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Jul 1993

Vol. 433 No. 6

Written Answers. - Structural Funds.

Austin Deasy

Question:

50 Mr. Deasy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if there is a definite reference to the £8 billion which was promised to Ireland at the Edinburgh Summit of EC Heads of State in the minutes of that meeting; and, if so, if he will quote the relevant passage.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

The conclusions of the Europe Council at Edinburgh do not set out specific figures on the share of structural and cohesion funding for each member state. The Conclusions of meetings of the European Council do not carry such detailed and technical information. The Conclusions of the Edinburgh Council do state, however, and I quote, that "expenditure on Structural Actions should be concentrated on the least prosperous member states, outermost regions and rural areas of the Community in accordance with Article 130A of the Maastricht Treaty".

The Conclusions further state that, for the four Cohesion Fund member states the figures set out will permit a doubling of commitments under Objective 1 and the Cohesion Fund between 1992 and 1999. It specifies that "for the four Cohesion Fund member states this means about 85becu over the period 1993-1999".

The Conclusions specify that in the allocation of the Funds, "full account should be taken, as now, of national prosperity, regional prosperity, population of the regions, and the relative severity of structural problems, including the level of unemployed and, for the appropriate objectives, the needs of rural development".

I am satisfied that it follows from the conclusions of the Edinburgh Council that the Irish allocation from the Structural and Cohesion Funds would be of the order of £8 billion.

The references given above are in Part C, Section B iii, of the Conclusions of the Edinburgh Council.