asked the Minister for Finance the specific proposals, if any, by the Government for availing to the maximum possible extent of Ireland's allocation from the Regional Fund of the European Economic Community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Regional Fund.
79.
Since the European Regional Development Fund has not yet been set up, no purpose would be served by submitting at this stage specific requests for fund assistance. The Deputy may rest assured that requests will be submitted as soon as it is useful to do so.
The question is not if we had submitted specific requests but if the Government had formulated specific proposals or taken any steps so that when the fund comes into operation we will be able to avail immediately to the maximum possible extent of whatever resources will be made available to us.
We have informally given indications of the type of projects we consider would be eligible for assistance. In the meantime we cannot, of course, wait for the setting up of the fund or knowledge of the extent of the fund to go ahead with some of these projects and we are, therefore, going ahead with our projects and as soon as the rules governing the fund are agreed and we know its size and the requirements, we will then formally table our specific proposals.
When the Minister says he has informally given an indication, through whom or through what channels has this been done because the point is specific proposals should be ready to submit to the Commission when the fund is settled and it is very evident that the Government here have taken no steps yet to advise the Irish people——
The Deputy is making a speech.
This is a very important matter. The Commissioner in Brussels has always indicated that it is in the interests of all member States to have their proposals ready so that they can avail to the maximum possible extent of whatever fund is available. Is the Minister now telling the House that they are ready and that applications have been invited and, if so, from whom and what arrangements have been made?
Applications have not been invited yet to make specific proposals because, as the Deputy well knows, the rules governing the fund have not yet been agreed, but we are ready to make specific proposals once the rules have been agreed.
The Minister is aware that all of this country has qualified for assistance under this fund and the Minister and his Government must equally be aware of the fact that structural problems in various development programmes will obviously qualify for assistance under this fund and, in view of that awareness, is the Minister now telling the House that the Government have failed in their obligation to prepare these proposals?
The Minister made no such statement and it is quite wrong of the Deputy to draw that inference.
The Minister has said that the Government cannot, in fact, make specific proposals at this stage.
I did not say "make".
We cannot debate this matter all day.
I said there were proposals.
Is the Minister aware of the fact, for example, that in regard to the retraining fund in the EEC the German Government have benefited to a great extent from this fund by virtue of the fact that they have specific proposals in being which qualify for assistance?
This is all very enlightening, but I would point out to the Deputy once again that this is Question Time and we cannot allow debate and argument at Question Time.
If I can help to enlighten the Government I will feel I have done a very good job.
There is no need to get enlightenment from Deputy O'Kennedy because all these matters have received the most urgent attention since the 14th of March.
We would like to see specific evidence of that specific attention.
I understand the proposed allocation for Ireland went up from 3.4 per cent to 4 per cent and I would like to know whether this represents a gain to the taxpayer——
Question No. 80.
The rules of the fund have not yet been finalised.