Michael Ring
Question:384 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the funding which will be available under the tourism national plan; and the qualifying criteria for same. [6733/02]
Written Answers. - Tourism Funding.
Michael Ring
Question:385 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the funding which is available for tourism, co-funded by the EU; when a funding scheme will be announced; the rates of grant which will be made available for the private sector and the public sector; and the number of grants which are co-funded from the EU for tourism projects. [6734/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together.
With regard to the reference to "the tourism national plan", I assume the Deputy is referring to the recently launched tourism product development scheme which is funded under the National Development Plan under the Tourism Measure of the Regional Operational Programmes. Within the tourism measure there are five specific sub-measures to aid tourism development as follows:
|
Sub-measure 1 |
Development of Major Attractors (and clusters of existing attractors) |
|
Sub-measure 2 |
Special Interest pursuits |
|
Sub-measure 3 |
Tourism/Environment Management |
|
Sub-measure 4 |
Tourism and Recreation Angling |
|
Sub-measure 5 |
Marine Tourism |
Some €130 million EU co-financed public sector funding, including €55 million support from the European Regional Development Fund, has been provided for investment in tourism product development under sub-measures 1 to 3 which will be administered by Bord Fáilte Éireann. Support for the angling and marine tourism sub-measures, which will be administered by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, is additional to this.
I am arranging for the Deputy to be sent an extract from the BMW operational programme covering the programme complement for tourism sub-measures 1 to 3 together with a copy of the operational guidelines for the tourism product development scheme.
Under this scheme, the maximum aid rates for public sector projects including community and voluntary projects are 50% in the S&E Region and 75% in the BMW region. I would point out that every project approved may not necessarily qualify for the maximum permissible aid rates.
In relation to private sector projects, assistance rates must comply with the European Commission's guidelines on national regional aid. The formal approval of the scheme for State aids purposes was granted by the European Commission on 7 November 2001. The maximum ceilings, in percentage terms, for regional aid for all sectors in Ireland were approved on 26 October 1999 and are set out in the following table:
|
S&E Region |
2002 |
2003 |
2004-06 |
|
|
South East |
31 |
26 |
20 |
plus 10% gross for SMEs |
|
Mid-West |
31 |
26 |
20 |
|
|
South-West |
31 |
26 |
20 |
|
|
Mid-East |
29 |
23 |
18 |
|
|
Dublin |
17.5 |
17.5 |
17.5 |
|
|
BMW Region |
||||
|
Border Midland and West |
40 |
40 |
40 |
plus 15% gross for SMEs |
The relevant ceiling is the one in force on the date of approval of a grant.
The first public call for proposals under the scheme was issued recently and the closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 22 March 2002.