John Perry
Question:51 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Finance if there is an investment fund planned for the Border counties on foot of strand 2 of the British-Irish Agreement. [20591/98]
Written Answers - Border Counties Funding.
Seymour Crawford
Question:62 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Finance the role, if any, he will have in the establishing and functioning of North-South bodies set up under the British-Irish Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23697/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 62 together.
Officials of my Department are participating in inter-departmental work on the implementation of the British-Irish Agreement, with particular reference to the establishment of North-South implementation bodies. They are particularly involved in discussions, including with British colleagues, on so-called horizontal issues, such as funding, staffing, accounting and audit arrangements.
In addition, if it were agreed to establish an EU programmes implementation body — this is one possibility listed in the Agreement — my Department would be directly involved.
Furthermore, my Department, in common with all other Departments, is currently considering which matters within its remit might be appropriate for priority attention by the North-South Ministerial Council, when established. Participation in the Council will be an essential responsibility of Ministers North and South and I intend to play a full part in making sure that it fulfils its potential to develop consultation, co-operation and action on matters of mutual interest between ourselves and Northern Ireland.
In relation to investment in the Border counties, it can be expected that the North-South institutions, operating in a context of lasting peace, will have a particularly positive inpact upon the Border counties. In addition, the Border counties will, under the current round of Structural Funds, receive, in addition to mainstream funding, a total of approximately £200 million from the INTERREG programme and the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. Deputies may take heart from the Regional Affairs Commissioner Wulf-Matthies' statement recently that the Commission intend to significantly reinforce the INTERREG programme in the next round of structural funding. Furthermore, the Border counties have received approximately £96 million in total funding from the International Fund for Ireland since its inception in 1987. Indications are that US support for the fund will continue while the Agreement and the new institutional arrangements are bedding down. There are no plans for an aditional investment fund for the Border counties on top of this.