Jack Wall
Question:16 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Finance if he will report on his meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance and Personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18176/00]
Other Questions. - North-South Ministerial Council.
I assume the Deputy is referring to the first meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in its special EU programmes sectoral format held in Dublin on 16 June. This meeting was also the first North-South Minis terial Council meeting since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. Mr. Mark Durkan, Minister of Finance and Personnel, and Mr. Sam Foster, Minister of the Environment, Northern Ireland, attended together with officials of our respective Departments, the North-South Ministerial Council Secretariat and the Special EU Programmes Body. The meeting was most successful and it specifically agreed the arrangements for North-South co-operation on EU-funded programmes as envisaged under Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement.
Among the issues which were considered was progress to date in taking forward the work of the Special EU Programmes Body. An oral report on this was given by the interim chief executive officer of the body. The council endorsed proposals for taking forward the work of the body. It also endorsed proposals for its initial staffing structure and procedures for appointing a permanent chief executive officer. The body will have its headquarters in Belfast with regional offices in Monaghan and Omagh.
The Special EU Programmes Body, as the managing authority, will have a significant role in the negotiation, monitoring and management of the PEACE programme, INTERREG community initiative and other community initiatives, all of which were co-funded by the European Union. The body will have a crucial role to play in ensuring that these programmes are delivered effectively and efficiently. The PEACE and INTERREG programmes in the 1994-99 period made an important contribution to reconciliation, cross-Border co-operation and regional and community development on both sides of the Border. The new PEACE II programme and INTERREG III community initiative should build on this foundation in the more peaceful and stable environment that now prevails in Northern Ireland and the Border counties. These two programmes alone will account for some 900 million of EU and public matching funds.
The council also approved a common text on North-South co-operation for inclusion in the Ireland and Northern Ireland community support frameworks. A minimum indicative 400 million has been earmarked for projects in this area. I stress that this is a minimum figure and it is my expectation that the actual level of investment in North-South projects over the period to 2006 will be significantly higher. The Special EU Programmes Body will have responsibility for monitoring progress in this regard and it will, therefore, have a major role in promoting North-South co-operation.
Finally, we agreed that we would meet on a quarterly basis in this sectoral format, with the next meeting taking place in October in Northern Ireland.
As regards the work of the implementation body and its role in relation to the funds, the Minister used the phrase "negotiation, monitoring and management". Will the implementation body have executive power in deciding what projects are to be supported? Is that executive power subject to reference to the Department or to the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland?
At present staff are seconded from the Department of Finance and the equivalent Department in Northern Ireland. It is envisaged that in time it will have its own chief executive, recruited by way of open competition in the coming months. Staff recruited to the body will be its staff. It will be able to give grants but it will be subject to the agreement of the two Departments. It must be remembered that the body is a transfer of power from our side of the Border and the Northern Ireland side by the two Governments. Most of these bodies are quite unusual in that they have been arrived at following long negotiation. Everything is intended to be done as a transfer of powers from the relevant Governments.
I appreciate that this will be worked out over time and following experience.
Yes.
Does the Minister expect the chief executive to constantly telephone the Department of Finance and check each decision with it or will decisions be taken independently by the implementation body?
I do not expect it will telephone either Department. The programmes that will be agreed will be worked out in time. I do not envisage it will be in touch with the Department asking if it can go ahead with something.