Máirín Quill
Question:1 Miss Quill asked the Taoiseach the reason for the delay in the provision of funds for the North Lee Development Company; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Pilot Project Funding.
Máirín Quill
Question:2 Miss Quill asked the Taoiseach if he has had correspondence in relation to the hold up of funds to the North Lee Development Company; and if so, his response to the request contained in this correspondence.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
The North Lee Development Company was established under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress as one of the pilot projects for the area based response to long term unemployment. These areas have now been designated under the new local development programme which is a major component of the National Development Plan 1994-1999. The North Lee Development Company is one of the areas which will receive funding under the disadvantaged areas element of the programme. So far the discussions with the European Commission have been very positive and I do not anticipate any delays in reaching agreement on the Operational Programme very soon after the Community Support Framework is adopted. The mechanism for channelling European Union funding to the partnership companies is the global grant for local development, with matching funds in the Vote of my Department.
I am satisfied that there will be no undue delays in relation to the disbursement of EU funding to partnerships. In addition my Department has assured the partnerships that matching Exchequer funding is being made available to partnerships on the basis of their commitments and cash flow requirements to ensure that there is no loss of momentum pending finalisation of the EU Global Grant.
I thank the Taoiseach for his assurance but when will funds be made available to the North Lee Development Company? The Taoiseach will appreciate that many job creation projects are up and running and waiting for the funding. It is important that there should be no delay in the provision of funding because this area has been hard hit by unemployment through the years. Now that the projects are being developed and the systems ready will the Taoiseach accept it is essential that the funding be made available without delay?
I recognise fully what the Deputy said in relation to unemployment in this area and that is the reason it was chosen as a pilot project. My information is that there were problems and delays earlier. The matter concerning money paid to the company for the people it employed rather than for what it wanted to do, has been rectified and there are no problems in this regard. I assure the Deputy there will be no delay in projects because of the lack of funding and the cashflow requirements of that company, pending agreement on the Community Support Framework and the operational programme. My Department is ensuring there will be no delays.
I had correspondence from the Cork Council of Trade Unions, among other bodies, concerning this matter. Has the Taoiseach communicated this information to those bodies as I understand they have written to his Department?
I have just returned from the official opening of IMPACT's new office building. The secretary of my Department met a trade union official from Cork and asked the up-to-date position. He said it may well be that information on the actions taken may not have filtered through between two board meetings. If the Deputy is not satisfied she is free to ask further questions.