Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013
461. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when the review of the BMW region grants system will be undertaken; if submissions from interested groups, commercial and industrial interests will be permitted; the formula that will be applied regarding the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34666/13]
View answerI believe the Deputy is referring to the mapping exercise associated with the Regional Aid Guidelines, which were adopted by the Commission on 19 June 2013. Regional Aid, also known as investment aid, is paid in the form of grants by the industrial development agencies to businesses in order to support new investment and new employment in productive projects in Europe's most disadvantaged regions. Such aid must be in accordance with each countries Regional Aid Map, as approved by the European Commission, which has responsibility for the Regional Aid Guidelines.
The new guidelines will enter into force on 1 July 2014. As a result, the current guidelines that were due to expire at the end of this year are to be extended for six month transition period. For the 2014-2020 Regional Aid Map Ireland’s population coverage will rise from 50% to 51.28%. This is due to the overall share of regions where regional aid can be granted increasing from the current level of 46.1% to 47.2 % of the EU population. This means that enhanced investment grants can be paid to companies in the least economically developed regions of Ireland.
A revised Irish Regional Aid Map will have to be submitted to and approved by the Commission before the end of June 2014. For the 2014-2020 Irish Regional Aid Map, economic data such as unemployment and Gross Domestic Product for all counties, including those counties in the BMW region, will once again be analysed afresh when deciding which counties will be designated for Regional Aid. During the Regional Aid Guideline process thus far, my Department has consulted relevant stakeholders, including various Government Departments, the industrial development agencies, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Forfás, the Central Statistics Office, the Border Midland and Western Regional Assembly, the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly, and the eight Regional Authorities. Further consultation will now take place with the above bodies and other relevant stakeholders. The deadline for the submission of the Irish map has yet to be communicated by the Commission.
