Jonathan O'Brien
Question:21. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria for selecting eligibility for funding via the ERF and EIF funding mechanism. [39753/13]
View answerWednesday, 25 September 2013
Questions (21, 33)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:33. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of the ERF and EIF funding allocated to Ireland that has been spent and the amount remaining. [39752/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 33 together.
The European Refugee Fund (ERF) and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (EIF) operate on the basis of annual programmes submitted by Member States and approved by the European Commission. The eligibility period for an annual programme extends for a year and a half after the end of the year in question.
For the programme years 2008 to 2010 (which is the latest for which final figures have been compiled), Ireland was allocated €4,855,918 under the ERF, of which €3,012,960 was spent. Under the EIF, for the programme years 2007 to 2010 - the EIF started a year earlier than the other Fund, we were allocated €3,829,055, of which €2,232,706 was spent. The remainder of the allocations was unspent due to an insufficiency of suitable projects with the required level of matching funding. In line with what is stated in the preceding paragraph, the eligibility periods for those programme years have expired.
Our allocations for the 2011 programme year were €2,010,662 in respect of the ERF and €1,344,054 for the EIF. Under the relevant rules, the final report for 2011 is due to be submitted to the Commission next March and work is under way on this.
The allocations for the 2012 and 2013 programme years total €2,400,158 for the ERF and €3,071,831 for the EIF. Pobal, on behalf of my Department, conducted a call for applications under both Funds with a closing date of 20 September last. Projects selected under this call will be charged to these allocations as, in the case of the 2012 programme year, will some expenditure of projects selected following a call for applications in late 2009 / early 2010.
I should caution, however, that expenditure in any given calendar year will depend on the amount in the relevant subhead of my Department's Vote, in accordance with the normal method of implementing EU funding here. Also, regard must be had to the desirability of commencing the new Asylum and Migration Fund, which will succeed the ERF and EIF, at an early date when all the necessary arrangements are in place.
The selection criteria in respect of both Funds in the recent call for applications are, in brief: capacity of the applicant; need for the project; outcomes for the target group; strategic fit; and value for money. Further information is in the Programme Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions documents on www.pobal.ie.