Vol. 455 No. 2
62 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Finance if he will have a study carried out with development agencies to ensure that the best possible use is made of the additional funding promised for the Border region in the Delors peace package. [9632/95]
A draft operational programme under the EU Community initiative for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border counties is at present being discussed by the relevant Government Departments in Ireland and Northern Ireland and the European Commission services. It is hoped that the programme will be approved by the Commission during the course of July.
As part of the preparation of the programme an extensive consultative process was carried out. The Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland, held a one day conference in Newcastle, County Down, on 29 March 1995 at which some 200 delegates from the state, business and voluntary sectors attended. A second one day conference was organised by the Department of Finance, in conjunction with the Border Regional Authority, in the Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, County Cavan, on 25 April. The attendance was over 200 representing a wide range of interests and the conference successfully achieved its primary objective of giving these interests an opportunity to put their views. Another conference was organised by the North's three MEPs in Belfast on 11 April last.
The Border Regional Authority, with the support of its EU operational committee, made a submission, at my invitation, on its views on the content of the programme. The EU operational committee of the Regional Authority includes representatives of local authorities, county managers, the social partners, the community and voluntary sector and Government Departments.
All Government Departments were also consulted and they in turn will have consulted their respective agencies as appropriate. Many representatives of the development agencies also participated in the Ballyconnell Conference and in the work of the EU operational committee of the Regional Authority.
