Data Collection

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Questions (361, 365)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

361. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the State bodies under his remit that have developed memoranda of understanding with his counterpart in Northern Ireland with regard to the efficient delivery of services on the island of Ireland; if he has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the development of further memoranda of understanding; the details of the cost-benefit analysis; and the new memoranda of understanding he will be creating between State bodies under their remits throughout the lifetime of this Government. [14287/16]

View answer

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

365. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is satisfied with the level of data collected on the issues that come under his Department's remit; the steps he will take to work with the Administration in Northern Ireland to collect data under his aegis on a North-South basis; and the budgets he will put in place to undertake this work (details supplied). [14446/16]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 365 together.

My Department has joint responsibility with the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland for the Special EU Programmes Body which manages the EU funded PEACE and INTERREG cross-border programmes. The two programmes will see investment of €551 million in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland over the period 2014-2020.

As the Deputy will be aware, the SEUPB is governed by the legislation giving effect to the Good Friday Agreement and operates under the North South Ministerial Council. It is also subject to EU regulations on Structural Funds programmes which included detailed reporting requirements.

Following his appointment, I wrote to the new Minister for Finance in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to meeting him at an early date to discuss work in this area.