Vol. 458 No. 4
12 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the specific measures and funding, if any, which are contained in the European Union's Operational Programme to assist agricultural development in the Border region; the discussions, if any, he has had with the Agriculture Commissioner specifically in regard to the Operational Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17053/95]
It is not clear which of the EU Operational Programmes the Deputy intended to refer to in his question. The Operational Programme for Agriculture, Rural Development and Forestry provides total public funding of over £1,122 million over the period 1994 to 1999 of which the EU will contribute £763.6 million. This Operational Programme, however, applies to the whole country and full details of the various measures have been published for almost a year.
Under the Leader Operational Programme six groups in the Border counties have been successful in securing a total of £12.7 million public funding for the period 1994-99. The selection of projects under Leader is a matter for the individual groups concerned but may include agricultural elements such as alternative farm enterprises and small processing projects.
EU Operational Programmes which apply specifically in the six southern Border counties are the Joint Interreg Programme for Northern Ireland and Ireland 1994-99 and the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland 1995-99.
While the Interreg Operational Programme contains specific measures aimed at assisting agriculture and forestry (with public funding of £3 million) most of the other measures in this Operational Programme will contribute to the development of agriculture in the broad sense in the Border counties. The total Border package for this programme in the southern six counties is £115 million of which £72 million is EU funding.
In the case of the EU Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation the overall funding that will eventually be committed to agriculture, will depend on the number of proposals related to agriculture which will be approved. The total public funding under this Operational Programme is £64 million for the period 1995-97 in respect of the six southern Border counties.
