Bertie Ahern
Question:14 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Finance the progress, if any, which has been made in implementing the north-west study and any other regional cross-Border studies. [4289/97]
Written Answers. - Cross-Border Studies.
The study referred to by the Deputy is the northwest study, carried out by Coopers and Lybrand which reported in April 1990. The study involved, primarily, the County Donegal and Derry-Strabane district council areas. The relevant local authorities, with the addition of Limavady district council, form the north west cross-Border group. The group has used the study as the basis for a series of proposals put forward for funding under a number of EU programmes, including the Ireland-Northern Ireland INTERREG programme and the special support programme for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland.
Under the INTERREG programme, indeed under the particular measure administered by my own Department, the group has received substantial funding in support of a joint secretariat involving the four local authority areas. Other relevant departments are examining the group's proposals in relation to an integrated area plan which involves a number of sectoral areas such as tourism, agriculture and environmental protection. My Department, with its counterparts in Northern Ireland, has been in consultation with the group on how best to move matters forward and a further meeting with them is planned shortly.
The INTERREG programme best lends itself to cross-Border strategies such as this, and similar proposals from other cross-Border local authority groupings have also received funding in respect of joint secretariats and support resources. While the groups involved are not yet as advanced as the north west cross-Border group in terms of their developmental strategies their proposals are being given every encouragement.
The Deputy may recall that the national plan published in 1993 in relation to the second round of Structural Funding contained a "common chapter" drafted jointly with Northern Ireland which set out the extent of North-South co-operation across a wide range of sectoral areas. I have asked that the position be updated for the next monitoring committee meeting on the community support framework which will be held in June 1997. This upgrade will give a useful indicator of progress in North-South co-operation across the Structural Funds and will also indicate areas where further attention is required.