In my reply to Deputies Brendan Smith and Kathleen Lynch on 25 June last — Official Report, volume 467, No. 4, cols. 969-970 — I provided a list of all the tourism projects approved for funding under the Ireland-northern Ireland and Maritime INTERREG II programmes up to that date.
On 16 October 1996, I advised Deputy Smith in my reply — volume 470, No. 2, col. 414 — that a further seven projects had been approved under the Ireland-Northern Ireland INTERREG programme but as no letters of offer had been issued, I was unable to provide details.
In the following table I am setting out details of these seven projects together with details of two further projects which have since been approved. The total amount of European Regional Development Fund funds yet to be committed in the south under the tourism and culture measure of the programme is IR£6.3 million.
In so far as the Maritime INTERREG II programme is concerned, only one project has still been approved, the details of which are given in the following table. Applications in respect of a number of other tourism projects for funding under this programme are currently under consideration but additional information is still required before final decisions and offers of grant assistance can be made.