Vol. 441 No. 2
38 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Marine the total allocation under the National Development Plan, 1994-1999, for areas for which his Department has responsibility; the allocation following the overall cut of 8.5 per cent announced by the Government on 3 March 1994; the way in which this will be applied to the projects for which he has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The National Development Plan provides for an investment programme of £270 million in the marine sector at 1993 prices. Some £19 million of this expenditure was put forward for assistance from the Cohesion Fund and will not be affected by the pro rata adjustments put forward by the Government in relation to programmes to be aided under the Community Support Framework 1994-1999. The impact of the adjustment on the marine sector will be small.
As regards projects, I refer to the statement by the Minister for Finance in the debate on a Private Members motion on the National Development Plan on 8 March last, which set out the steps in the Structural Funds process involving the National Development Plan, the Community Support Framework and the Operational Programmes. The selection of individual projects will only arise after these stages have been completed and it is not possible, therefore, to give details of the specific projects that will attract Structural Fund assistance.
