Vol. 498 No. 4
280 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Finance if he received sanction from the European Commission for the introduction of the urban renewal areas; when he will announce his decision in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27722/98]
I have not yet received approval from the EU Commission for the new urban renewal scheme. The latest position is that the Commission has written to us with several queries arising from our initial application. The reply to them is currently being prepared. I stress that this is part of the normal process associated with obtaining EU approval and that the procedure may take some time to complete.
Any final decision made by the Commission in this context will be announced at the appropriate time.
