Written Answers. - EU and Border Counties' Funding.
Bertie Ahern
Question:
38
Mr. B. Ahern
asked the
Minister for Finance
the funds from the EU 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]
In addition to expenditure under the Community Support Framework (CSF) operational programmes and from the Community initiatives, the Border region (comprising the six counties of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo) is benefiting specifically from the Programme for peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border counties and the Ireland-Northern Ireland INTERREG Programme 1994-99, both of which are managed by my Department.
Under the peace programme a total of 300 MECU (approximately £240 million) of EU funds is being provided over the period 1995-97. At least 20 per cent of these funds (amounting to approximately £48 million) is being made available for the six Border counties.
Under INTERREG II a total of 156 MECU (approximately £125 million) of EU funds has been allocated to the Border counties and Northern Ireland for cross-Border projects in infrastructure, environmental protection, natural resources, human resources and economic development. Of this amount 89.5 MECU (approximately £72 million), significantly over half of the EU funding approved, has been made available for the six Border counties, and, as in the case of the peace programme, matching funding will come from central Government, local authorities, the private sector and community groups depending on the nature of the project being funded.
Expenditure under the peace programme and INTERREG II will be additional to spending in the Border counties under the 1994-99 CSF operational programmes for Ireland and under other Community initiatives. To verify this additionality the Department of Finance has requested Government Departments to compile details of forecast expenditure under each operational programme and community initiatives for each of the eight regions. These forecasts, which are now being finalised, will provide the baseline reference data for establishing additionality of expenditure under the INTERREG II and the peace programme over the period of these programmes. I assure Deputies that procedures are being put in place to ensure that additionality of funding under INTERREG II and the peace programme will be verifiable and transparent.
In the context of the peace programme the Department of Finance has asked Departments responsible for CSF operational programmes to examine the possibilities for refocusing these programmes to accommodate the new demands and challenges which have arisen following the cessation of violence. While a major recasting of operational programmes should not prove necessary, Departments are expected to examine possibilities such as advancing the timing of projects located within the Border region and increased opportunities for cross-Border co-operation.
Within the peace programme five priority areas of action are identified under the central objective of reconciliaton: urban and rural regeneration, employment, cross-Border development, social inclusion and productive investment and industrial development.
Given the nature of the problems that are being addressed by the special initiative, the theme of social inclusion will be given particular prominence. Most of the measures under the peace programme are being managed by intermediary funding bodies who are independent of Government Departments and funded by means of global grants. In addition, sub-programme 2 — Urban and Rural Regeneration — involves the participaton of county council-led task forces across a wide range of actions. Where measures do not involve intermediary funding bodies or the local authority task forces applicants are advised to apply to the relevant Government Department directly.
Under INTERREG II, the programme will offer a multisectoral range of measures covering: economic development and tourism; infrastructure; environmental protection; agriculture, forestry and fisheries and human resources.
As a coherent economic development strategy for the Border region is dependent on adequate infrastructural foundations the bulk of the funding on the Southern side has been allocated, as agreed by the Government, to the Infrastructural and Environmental Protection sub-programmes. Roads, sanitary services, electricity networks and telecommunications are vital underpinnings to the tourism, agricultural, food processing, industrial and service sectors.
An INTERREG office was established in Monaghan in October last and an INTERREG development officer has been appointed with the specific remit of assisting with the promotion of this programme on the ground both in the Border counties and in Northern Ireland. Part of his remit is to inform interested groups and individuals on other sources of EU funding for their particular projects.
Over 3,000 information packs covering the peace initiative and INTERREG, have been distributed. Nearly 600 applications have been received under INTERREG and a further 500 applications received under the peace initiative, and I am pleased to say that 69 projects have been assisted under both initiatives to date.
In putting together the peace programme officials in both administrations were able to draw on their track record of co-operation in relation to the implementation of the Ireland-Northern Ireland INTERREG Programme. This gave a good basic foundation on which the Commission and ourselves hope to build innovative delivery mechanisms which will ensure a genuine "bottom-up" involvement for local communities.
In the Border counties the implementation mechanisms have been designed to ensure the fullest local involvement in the most direct way possible. Accordingly, where appropriate and to the fullest extent practicable, the measures under the programme are being implemented by intermediary bodies, ADM and the Combat Poverty Agency. Both of these bodies have offices in Monaghan town and will be particularly concerned with addressing the problems of social inclusion.
To ensure that all these funds are maximised, the Taoiseach has asked his Minister of State, Deputy Donal Carey, to chair a task force to ensure the relevant level of co-ordination is achieved to get value for money and maximum benefit for the people living in the Border counties.
