Written Answers. - Leasing of Former School Property.
John O'Leary
Question:
90
Mr. O'Leary
asked the
Minister for Finance
the current position regarding the application of the Barraduff Development Association in the parish of Glenflesk, County Kerry, to purchase the old national school in Barraduff; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12092/95]
John O'Leary
Question:
107
Mr. O'Leary
asked the
Minister for Finance
if he will sell the leasehold interest in a school (details supplied) in County Kerry to the Local Community Development Association for use for community purposes.
[12003/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 107 together.
As indicated in the written reply of my predecessor, Deputy Jim Higgins, then Minister of State, to the Deputy's earlier question No. 94 of 28 February 1995, Column 1779, Volume 449, of the Official Report), the Commissioners of Public Works were unable to agree terms for a lease of this former school property to the local Community Development Association and had no option but to offer it for sale on the open market. The purchase offers received were unacceptable and, as the Association has recently indicated that it is prepared to reconsider the question of taking a lease of the premises for community purposes, the Commissioners are in correspondence with them with a view to ascertaining whether mutually acceptable terms for such leasehold interest can be agreed.
I will advise the Deputy of the outcome.
James McDaid
Question:
93
Dr. McDaid
asked the
Minister for Finance
the reason only one project submitted by North-West Cross-Border Group public representatives of Donegal, Derry, Limavady and Strabane Councils received funding from INTERREG.
[11371/95]
James McDaid
Question:
95
Dr. McDaid
asked the
Minister for Finance
the reason one project from 12 submitted by elected representatives from the councils of Donegal, Derry, Limavady and Strabane cross-Border group was accepted for funding.
[11361/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 95 together.
The North-West Cross-Border Group comprised the local authority areas of Donegal County Council, Derry City Council, Strabane District Council and Limavady Borough Council. The group submitted 14 project applications in all under the INTERREG I Programme, some cross-Border, some Northern Ireland only and some Ireland only. Of the 14 applications received one was approved under the economic development measure which was jointly administered by my Department and the Department of Economic Development (NI). This involved the funding of a secretariat headed by a development officer and whose chief functions were the implementation throughout the four council areas of short term projects; facilitating of larger key projects; communications and public relations and organising/mobilising of the Group. The Secretariat addressed the recognised need for a mechanism of co-ordinating the Cross-Border Group's recommendations put forward in the North West study. Grants of IR£30,491 and Stg £31,650 were paid to the group in respect of the secretariat.
Five other projects submitted by the group were approved and carried out by the appropriate promoters. The Water Quality Management Plan for Lough Foyle and Strabane-Londonderry road improvement were approved by the Department of Environment (NI). Other applications approved for road improvements by the Department of the Environment in the South included roads linking the Beleek/Ballyshannon, Bridgend-Buncrana and Letterkenny.
Applications received under the INTERREG I Programme were examined by joint North-South working groups comprising of representatives of the relevant sectoral Departments and agencies involved in the particular areas involved. All relevant technical expertise was thus available to the Departments concerned and, where applications had to be rejected, there were sound economic grounds for so doing. The European Commission was satisfied with the operation of the working groups and approved similar arrangements under INTERREG II. My Department had no function in the examination or approval of project applications other than those received under the Economic Development measure of the programme.
