Vol. 487 No. 3
165 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the funds, if any, his Department or agencies under its aegis are receiving from the Community Support Framework of the EU; and, if so, the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that the private sector is allowed to participate in tendering for grants under the operational programme on the basis of criteria set down in advance as agreed as part of the mid-term review of the Community Support Framework. [22694/97]
My Department is responsible for administering the CSF technical assistance operational programme. Funding for this programme amounts to 12.632 mecu of which 75 per cent comes from the European Regional Development Fund. The purpose of the programme is to support the monitoring, assessment and evaluation of the CSF, information and publicity in relation to the CSF and the EU activities of regional authorities.
The provisions in the mid-term review relating to the scope for involving the private sector would not generally be applicable under the CSF technical assistance OP except in relation to evaluation of CSF policy or administrative issues. Consultants are generally engaged, as required, through open competition in accordance with predetermined terms of reference for each consultancy to carry out such evaluations.
