Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 September 2012
126. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if under the new EU Urban Programme from 2014 that resources will be available for Irish cities and towns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40911/12]
View answer127. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will propose the North Fringe of Dublin City Council and the South Fringe of Fingal County Council as part of the key completion and redevelopment areas for funding under the proposed 2014 EU Urban Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40912/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 127 together.
The European Commission published its proposals for the 2014-2020 round of funding on 6 October 2011. Discussions and negotiations on the proposals have been taking place at European Council level since that date. The future of cohesion policy is being framed in the context of the current economic downturn and the challenge for an integrated cohesion policy is to address this. The strategic direction for future policy will, of course, be framed by the EU 2020 Strategy and the EU Budget review. Ireland supports the goals of the EU 2020 Strategy.
Cohesion Policy will be a key tool in the achievement of the above mentioned goals. Interventions must be focused on creating employment, research and innovation, education, combating poverty and climate change and energy. One of the elements of the proposals is to foster integrated urban policies to enhance sustainable urban development in order to strengthen the role of cities within the context of cohesion, with at least 5% of the ERDF resources allocated for "integrated actions" in this field by each Member State. It will be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, who has overall responsibility for Cohesion Policy, to bring forward proposals at the appropriate time on the best use of Structural Funds resources available to Ireland taking into account, amongst other matters, the sustainable urban development aspects.
