Pat Cox
Question:161 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Finance the total current and capital receipts from the EC/EU for the calender year 1993.
Written Answers. - EC/EU Receipts.
Based on the latest figures available it is calculated that, for 1993, current and capital receipts from the EU totalled £1,673.5 million and £567.6 million respectively. It should be noted that these figures relate to moneys received by Government Departments and agencies under their control and do not include moneys received directly from the EU by research bodies, private firms, etc., figures for which are not available to me.
Pat Cox
Question:162 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the published Book of Estimates for 1994 under the relevant detailed headings, he will give details of the shortfall in capital receipts from the EC/EU compared to 1993; the reasons therefore; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to EC Structural Funds as distinct from EC receipts in general.
The National Development Plan 1994-1999 gives the total amount of EC aid commitments for 1993 as £1,081 million. (Table on page 8). As mentioned on publication of the 1994 Abridged Estimates Volume on 9 December, 1993, the total projected commitment of EC aid underlying those Estimates was £879 million. The main reasons for the reduction vis-a-vis 1993 include:
(1) the National Plan figure of aid commitments for 1994 was already anticipated as being below that for 1993. This reflects, inter alia, the fact that as the final year of the old Community Support Framework and Community initiatives, aid in 1993 was unusually high due to the delayed distribution of annual commitments over the period 1989 to 1993;
(2) as regards 1994, increases in total Structural Funds in the EC Budget are weighted towards the end of the 1994-1999 period and Ireland's share of total Structural Funds in the new round is less than that in the old round of funding.
The reduction in aid projected for 1994 is without prejudice to the Government's objective of securing the implementation of the National Plan in full over the 1994-1999 period.