Vol. 476 No. 7
351 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the EU funding received by his Department in 1996; the funding which he expects to receive in 1997; and the relevant funds and budget lines under which such funding is received. [8029/97]
As the national authority with responsibility for the overall management of the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-99, my Department received £43.3225 million of European Regional Development Fund funding during 1996. With the exception of a small amount retained under the technical assistance provision of the programme for monitoring purposes, these funds were transferred to the implementing agencies, namely the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, the Department of the Marine, Bord Fáilte and Shannon Development. These are the bodies designated for the distribution of grants awarded under the programme. It is expected that a further £70 million of European Regional Development Fund grant assistance will be drawn down under the Operational Programme for Tourism in 1997, for similar distribution to the implementing agencies.
An Bord Tráchtála receives European Regional Development Fund funding under the marketing sub-programme of the operational programme for industrial development, the lead Department of which is the Department of Enterprise and Employment. European Regional Development Fund funding for expenditure by an Bord Tráchtála during 1996 was £10.51 million and is expected to be £10.77 million in 1997.
