European Fund for Strategic Investments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 February 2017

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

Questions (305)

Barry Cowen

Question:

305. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the potential investment projects his Department put forward to the Department of Finance task force report for the European Fund for Strategic Investments. [4860/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In 2014, my Department  contributed projects for inclusion in Ireland's project list as submitted to the “EIB-Commission-Member State "Special Task Force on developing an investment project pipeline in the EU". The possible projects and project areas that were outlined at that time included:

- An Agri-Food Loan Fund

- Afforestation and the creation of woodland

- Capital projects in Fishery Harbours

- Marine Research and Infrastructure Initiative, the Irish Digital Ocean.

This was in advance of the launch of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), which is now available to provide loans and guarantees for strategic investments, and is managed by the European Investment Bank (EIB).