Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Mar 1996

Vol. 462 No. 7

Written Answers. - Border Counties Funding.

Bertie Ahern

Question:

9 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the funds from EU, IFI and other sources available for the southern Border counties; the funds that are additional or consequent on the peace process; and the purposes for which they have been or will be used in each of the years from 1994 to 1996. [3928/96]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

In the period since its establishment in 1986 to 30 September 1995 the International Fund for Ireland, which is administered by an independent board, allocated £82 million to projects in the southern Border counties.

Following the original announcement of the paramilitary ceasefires in the autumn of 1994, President Clinton announced his intention of requesting Congress to increase the US contribution to the fund to $30 million per annum for 1996 and 1997. Against a background of severe budgetary pressure in the United States. Congress recently decided to contribute $19.6 million for 1996, the same level as 1995. A contribution for 1997 has yet to be decided.

In November 1994 the European Union agreed to renew and increase its contribution to the fund by pledging 90 million ECU in equal annual tranches over the following three years. At around the same time, New Zealand pledged a further $NZ300,000 to the fund and Australia for the first time became a contributor to the fund when it agreed to provide $A7 million over a five year period. All of these enhanced contributions represented tangible support for the peace process and an important vote of confidence in the work of the fund. In keeping with the terms of the agreement establishing the fund, some 25 per cent of these additional resources would be allocated to projects in the southern Border counties. These resources have been used to support projects and programmes which meet the core objectives of the fund, namely to promote economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Ireland. Full details of the priority programmes operated by the fund and the projects which they have assisted are published each year in its annual report. I have accordingly arranged that the 1994 and 1995 reports should be made available to the Deputy.

In regard to the EU funds, other Government Ministers will in due course respond to the Deputy's questions in so far as it relates to their departmental responsibilities.