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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 3

Written Answers. - Cross-Border Agencies.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

161 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of the total amounts allocated to any cross-Border agencies under the aegis of his Department since their inception; the precise details relating to consultancy services that were employed by these agencies since their inception; the manner in which consultants were appointed, including details of tendering systems employed; the manner in which successful consultants were advised of their appointment; the full amounts paid, or payable to date, on consultancy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19082/03]

The special EU programmes body (SEUPB) was established on 2 December 1999 as part of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It operates under the aegis of the Department of Finance and the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel. Amounts are allocated to the SEUPB to meet PEACE and INTERREG programme expenditure requirements and the administrative costs of the body. Annual allocations made by my Department to the SEUPB since its inception are listed in the following table. Details of the North-South funding for the body are available in the agency statement for the body in the annual Revised Estimates Volume.

2000

2001

2002

2003

€000

€000

€000

€000

Peace Programme

1,625

3,075

4,197

7,500

North-South INTERREG

176

202

153

3,600

SEUPB

383

1,554

1,204

1,481

¹Revised Estimates Volume Outturns.
²Revised Estimates Volume Estimate.
The appointment of consultants by the body is a day to day operational matter for which its chief executive officer is accountable to the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Northern Ireland Assembly or the United Kingdom Parliament, as appropriate. For the Deputy's information, consultancy contracts are awarded by the SEUPB in accordance, as appropriate, with the procurement procedures of the Northern Ireland Procurement Service and the national and EU public procurement guidelines issued by my Department.
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