Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2013
44. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the recent EU budget discussions in particular in relation to the significant cuts to EU transport and communication networks and the potential impact on projects here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8738/13]
View answerThe European Council met on 7 and 8 February to agree the EU Budget Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020. In the course of negotiations on the MFF Ireland argued for a properly funded and properly functioning EU, with the right mix of priorities, fair allocation of resources and a focus on jobs and growth. Ensuring a properly-funded Common Agricultural Policy was central to this, as was ensuring that the EU’s regional policy addressed the real and current challenges we face, including unemployment.
The Commission proposal for the MFF would have seen spending of €45.7 billion on a special Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), including €24.8 billion on transport and €10.5 billion on telecommunications. However, the final MFF agreement was for a total CEF amount of €29.3 billion, of which €23.2 billion was for transport and €1 billion for telecommunications.
The MFF outcome was a compromise, and could not fully reflect the ambitions of all Member States. We would have preferred a larger overall amount, and explicitly argued for more spending on telecommunications. However, on balance the result was a good deal for Ireland, and a good deal for Europe.
Ireland will be eligible to apply for funding under the CEF once the Regulation, which covers the period 2014-2020, has been agreed. We intend to be very ambitious in terms of our objectives in that regard.
While the level of the proposed CEF allocation to the telecommunications and transport sectors is lower than the Government would have wished, I am hopeful that transport and telecommunications projects in Ireland will benefit from this new funding instrument in due course.
