Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 1

Written Answers. - Allocation of EU Resources.

Richard Bruton

Question:

46 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money allocated by the European Union in 1993 and projected for 1994 under the community support framework, the Cohesion Fund, and the community initiative; and the way in which this compares with what was originally expected by the Government when it framed the National Plan spending.

Pat Cox

Question:

49 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Finance if, in respect of the years 1994 to 1999, he will tabulate in 1994 Irish pound prices the estimated value of the global amount available from the European Union for the community support framework for Ireland; the estimated value or range of values for community initiatives for Ireland; the estimated value or range of values for the Cohesion Funds; the sum of all three estimates against the equivalent 1994 to 1999 Estimates published in the National Development Plan, 1994 to 1999, adjusted to 1994 prices, and in terms of current Irish prices the gap between the actual or probable global figures available from the European Union; and the equivalent figures sought in October 1993 by Ireland.

Pat Cox

Question:

50 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Finance if, in respect of the years 1994 to 1999, he will give in 1994 Irish pound prices the estimated value of the Cohesion Funds available from the European Union for Ireland, or, in the absence of a specific agreed amount, the probable range of values over the relevant period; and for the same period and in 1994 Irish pound prices the amount sought in respect of the same set of funds in the National Development Plan, 1994/1999.

Pat Cox

Question:

51 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Finance if, in respect of the years 1994 to 1999, he will give in 1994 Irish pound prices the estimated value of the global amount available from the European Union for community initiatives for Ireland, or in the absence of a specific amount of estimate an indicative range of probable amounts; and for the period and in 1994 Irish pound prices the global amount sought in respect of the same set of funds in the National Development Plan, 1994/1999.

Pat Cox

Question:

52 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Finance if, in respect of the years 1994 to 1999, he will give in 1994 Irish pound prices the estimated value of the global amount available from the European Union for the community support framework for Ireland that is the global value of the sum of the European Regional Development Fund, ESF and the Guidance section EAGGF; and for the same period and in 1994 Irish pound prices the global amount sought in respect of the same set of funds in the National Development Plan, 1994/1999.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 46, 49, 50, 51 and 52 together.

As Deputies are aware the allocation of resources to Ireland falls within the range 8.1 to 9.3 billion ECU in 1992 prices. Converting to Irish pounds and to 1994 prices, this is equivalent to a range of IR£6.9 billion to IR£8 billion. In October 1993, the Commission decided the amounts on which it would negotiate Community Support Frameworks (CSFs) for the disbursement of the Structural Funds in the period 1994-1999.

These amounts do not cover all the resources in the range because 1993 Structural Funds resources were already allocated and Community Initiatives and Cohesion Fund resources are dealt with separately. While the overall EU aid contribution under the Community Support Framework has been settled, the year by year phasing of that aid has still to be finalised.

Community Support Frameworks are broad statements of priorities and commitments and the indicative amounts of Community assistance contained in them may be subject to adjustment during the implementation period. For Ireland, the CSF amount expressed in 1994 prices is 5.62 billion ECU or IR£4.54 billion. The equivalent figure included in the National Development Plan is IR£5.3 billion. As regards Community Initiatives no allocations to member states have yet been made. The Plan projected that Ireland might receive the equivalent of IR£524 million in 1994 prices from Community Initiatives. The Government consider that Ireland will receive at least IR£400 million in aid under the Initiatives in the period 1994 to 1999. Cohesion Fund resources over the period 1994-1999 are expected to be in line with the figure included in the National Development Plan at over IR£1 billion in 1994 prices.

In relation to 1993, EU aid commitments to Ireland amounted to £845 million from the structural funds under the Community Support Framework 1989-1993, £122 million from the structural funds under Community Initiative programmes and £114 million from the Cohesion Fund, all in 1993 prices.