Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Apr 1998

Vol. 489 No. 6

Written Answers. - EU Structural Funds.

Tom Enright

Question:

577 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will give a full list of all projects in County Laois under the aegis of her Department which were approved for funding from EU Structural Funds; the amount of funding from the EU; the amount of matching funding required from her Department or the funding required from any relevant council or organisation attached to her Department; and if she will list all the projects which she anticipates will be completed by the end of 1999 and which will obtain funding from the EU. [9406/98]

Tom Enright

Question:

578 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will give a full list of all projects in County Offaly under the aegis of her Department approved for funding from EU Structural Funds; the amount of funding from the EU; the amount of matching funding required from her Department or the funding required from any relevant council or organisation attached to her Department; and if she will list all the projects which she anticipates will be completed by the end of 1999 and which will obtain funding from the EU. [9408/98]

Tom Enright

Question:

581 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if any application for funding from EU Structural Funds has been withdrawn which had already been passed and approved by the EU and her Department; the number of these applications which she has withdrawn; and the reason for the withdrawal of these applications. [9414/98]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 577, 578 and 581 together.

The following table 1 indicates the list of projects originally approved in Counties Laois and Offaly for funding under sub-programme one of the tourism operational programme 1994-9. I am happy that all of these projects apart from the Durrow Abbey project will be completed in the timescale allowed and will draw down the full amount of EU eligible funding. With regard to the Durrow Abbey project, the Deputy will be aware in light of my reply to him to today's Question No. 579, that there are legal obstacles in this case which will necessitate its withdrawal from the sub-programme.

Project	ERDF Grant	Exchequer Grant/Contribution	Local Authority/Private Contribution
	IR£	IR£	IR£
Laois Arts Centre, Portlaoise	975,000	325,000	200,000
Oxmantown Hall Theatre, Birr, County Offaly	187,500	62,500	106,456
Improvement works to the Grand Canal in County Offaly	1,584,750	528,250	–
Improvement works to the Barrow Navigation in County Laois	939,000	313,000	–
Shannonbridge quay construction, County Offaly	400,000	100,000	–
Dunamase Rock, Dunamase, County Laois	225,000	75,000	–
Durrow Abbey, County Offaly	300,000	100,000	–
Clara Bog Centre, County Offaly	825,000	275,000	–

The following is the list of projects that have been formally withdrawn from Sub-Programme One of the Tourism Operational Programme

National Library of Ireland,Kildare Street,Dublin 2	All unexpended funds were removed from this project as a result of the Mid-Term Evaluation of the Tourism OP.
Blasket Islands Piers, County Kerry	This project was removed from the programme because it would not have been possible to complete it within the allowed timeframe.
Clara Bog Visitor Centre, County Offaly	This project was removed from the programme because it would not have been possible to complete it within the allowed timeframe.
Mayo National Park Visitor Centre	This project was removed from the programme because it would not have been possible to complete it within the allowed timeframe.
Grange Pier, County Roscommon	This project was removed from the programme due to a reduction in funding as a result of the Mid-Term Evaluation of the Tourism OP.
Boyne Canal	This project was removed from the programme due to cost factors.

It is proposed to also formally withdraw the following projects from the sub-programme for the reasons stated:

Kilmacduagh Abbey, County Galway	Land acquisition problems.
Inishcealtra (Holy Islands), County Clare	Improved access facilities cannot be provided in the absence of a local initiative which has partly failed.
War Memorial Park Footbridge, Dublin	Physical constraints make it impossible to proceed with this project.