Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jun 2003

Vol. 569 No. 3

Written Answers. - National Development Plan.

Denis Naughten

Question:

194 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Finance if the funding committed to the BMW region under the NDP is ring-fenced; the total allocation of funding in each year to the BMW and the south and east region; the value of additional funds available under the mid-term review for each region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17487/03]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The national development plan or NDP provides an indicative profile for each of the regions between 2000 and 2006, which equates roughly to one third of the resources being allocated to the Border, midland and western or BMW region. The annual allocations are determined by budgetary ceilings set by Government taking account of the wider budgetary considerations and the requirements of economic stability. The table below shows the Exchequer contribution to the NDP: (a) the Exchequer outturn between 2000 and 2002; (b) the Exchequer allocation to the NDP in 2003 and the estimated regional breakdown and (c) the projected indicative Exchequer contribution to the operational programmes for 2004-2006.

Year	BMWRegion	S&ERegion	National
	€million	€million	€million
2000	1,296	3,177	4,473
2001	1,733	4,493	6,226
2002	1,879	5,066	6,945
2003	1,863	4,814	6,677
2004	2,085	4,266	6,352
2005	2,120	4,188	6,308
2006	2,138	4,259	6,397
Total	13,114	30,264	43,378

The mid-term review will need to take account of the emerging budgetary outlook, assessments of available resources to the end of 2006 and other expenditure demands outside of the NDP in determining what Exchequer resources can be made available. Should key performance indicators be achieved on EU co-financed measures, the EU Commission will provide €134 million of additional funds in the form of the performance reserve, of which €55 million is for the BMW region.