Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Jun 1988

Vol. 382 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EC Special Border Areas Programme.

6.

Mr. McGahon

asked the Minister for Finance the money which has been spent in County Louth from the EC Regional Border Fund in each of the last five years; the projects which have received funding; and the other counties in which moneys from this fund have been used to finance projects.

Mr. MacSharry

Two phases of the Special Border Areas Programme (SBAP) aimed at improving the economic and social situation of the Border counties have been approved by the European Commission. The first phase, approved in June 1981, was completed in 1986. No expenditure has as yet been incurred under the second phase which was approved in December 1987.

The information requested by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. The tables, which list all projects in County Louth assisted under the SBAP, relate to the first phase of the programme and cover the period 1981 to 1986.

Projects in Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan were also eligible for assistance under the first phase of the programme.

Following is the statement:

County Louth

A. Tourist Amenity Projects

	Expenditure (IR£)
	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	Total
Signposting, Co. Louth	10,000	14,009	2,185	1,400	—	—	27,594
Lurganboy — car park, picnic area	17,000	—	—	1,900	—	—	18,900
Courthouse, Dundalk — renovation	17,500	9,899	16,935	10,000	68,000	—	122,344
Courthouse Square Dundalk —Landscaping	10,000	26,329	—	51,000	—	—	87,329
Milmount Complex Drogheda —improvement and adaptation	20,500	31,024	32,863	44,000	226,320	99,107	453,814
Island Park Ardee — Tourist facilities	—	7,100	758	—	—	—	7,858
Gyles Quay, car park	—	13,644	200	14,000	27,500	—	55,344
Tourist Information Office, Dundalk	—	14,000	88,000	69,558	42,500	—	214,058
Greenore — Golf Project	—	25,000	—	—	—	—	25,000
Templeton Beach — Access	—	—	4,867	900	—	—	5,767
Rathcor Beach — Access	—	—	4,130	700	—	—	4,830
Ballagan — Coast Protection	—	—	4,241	1,300	—	—	5,541
Faughart — car park	—	—	2,728	—	—	—	2,728
Boyne Canal — fishing facility	—	—	1,000	—	—	—	1,000
Rivers Fane/Dee — Access, clearing, car park etc.	1,565	—	1,600	800	—	—	3,965
Mellifont Abbey — car park landscaping	—	—	—	10,660	70,168	6,863	87,691
Dun Dealgan Fort — works to monuments	—	—	—	14,240	23,341	—	37,581
Carlingford Castle — access, landscaping, interpretative plaque	—	—	—	—	5,594	—	5,594
Tain Trail	—	—	—	—	3,267	14,733	18,000
Castlebellingham — restoration of water mill	—	—	—	10,525	—	—	10,525
Boyne Valley — historic route	—	—	—	3,973	—	—	3,973
Gyles Quay — amenity development	—	—	—	7,000	—	—	7,000
Carlingford Town — car park and visitor facilities	—	—	—	22,000	12,500	—	34,500
Mullameelan — picnic area	—	—	—	1,000	—	—	1,000
Boyne Valley — access to viewing point	—	—	—	2,000	7,500	—	9,500
Annaverna — car park	—	—	—	5,000	—	—	5,000
Sliabh Breagh, Ardee — Kerbing and planting	—	—	—	5,000	—	—	5,000
Port/Cruisetown — fencing	—	—	—	4,000	7,900	—	11,900
Dundalk Craft Centre	—	—	—	—	55,460	2,457	57,917
Baltray Golf Club — developments	—	—	—	—	15,000	—	15,000
Information Display Maps	—	—	—	—	2,566	—	2,566
Ardee Town — amenities	—	—	—	—	10,200	—	10,200
Ardee — tennis court	—	—	—	—	100	—	100
Ardee — car park	—	—	—	—	25,300	613	25,300
Seapoint — car park	—	—	—	—	35,300	557	35,913
Cruisetown Wall	—	—	—	—	27,600	—	28,157
Seapark — amenity development	—	—	—	—	3,300	—	3,300
Fane — car park	—	—	—	—	2,600	—	2,600
Omeath — amenity development	—	—	—	—	20,700	—	20,700
Ardee Castle	—	—	—	—	24,400	13,746	38,146
St. Patrick's Roden Place	—	—	—	—	5,500	—	5,500
Market Square — development	—	—	—	—	81,100	16,422	97,522
Williamson's Place	—	—	—	—	13,400	—	13,400
Old Abbey, Drogheda	—	—	—	—	15,649	11,915	27,564
Sum Totals	76,565	141,005	159,507	280,956	832,765	166,413	1,657,211

B. Minor Tourist Road Improvements.

Road	Expenditure (IR£)
1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	Total
Bog Road, Edentubber	40,000	15,471	397	6,200	—	—	62,068
White House/Sea Bank	22,000	—	—	2,100	—	—	24,100
Drogheda/Baltray	—	34,985	22,777	4,800	—	—	62,562
Lurganboy/Cruisetown	—	12,880	22,855	5,200	—	—	40,935
Annaverna	—		5,004	—	—	—	5,004
Crowmartin	—	—	1,156	—	—	—	1,156
Sum Totals	62,000	63,336	52,189	18,300	—	—	195,825

Construction and Conversion of Tourism Accommodation	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	Total
	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£
C. Hotel Improvements	2	7,364	—	—	—	—	1	13,107	—	—	—	—	3	20,471
D. Supplementary Holiday Accommodation	3	4,364	7	6,185	7	5,562	7	8,750	2	1,956	—	—	26	26,817
E. Caravan and Camping	—	—	1	32,215	1	25,187	1	16,239	1	4,734	—	—	4	78,375
Sum Totals	5	11,728	8	38,400	8	30,759	9	38,096	3	6,690	—	—	33	125,663

	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	Total
	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£	No. of Projects	£
F. Craft Projects	—	—	1	688	1	5,850	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	6,538

In addition an amount of £1,250,418 which cannot be broken down on a county basis was expended under the Programme as follows:

		£
Bord Fáilte	Tourism Promotion	500,590
Bord Fáilte	Technical and Consultancy Fees relating to accommodation	49,828
CTT	Marketing aids for Small and Medium Sized Industries	700,000

Phase I of the Special Border Areas Programme also covered counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan.

Mr. McGahon

How does the money spent in County Louth compare per capita with adjoining counties? Have the Department any plans to include harbour development in Dundalk and Drogheda under the regional schemes?

Mr. MacSharry

The second part of the Deputy's question is a separate matter and I do not have the details here. The tabular statement runs to three pages but the total for Louth is almost £2 million; for Monaghan, £2.5 million; for Leitrim, £2.1 million; for Cavan, £3.7 million; and for Donegal, £10.3 million. It is in the tabular statement.

Mr. McGahon

Did Sligo Airport benefit from a payment from this fund some years ago? What was the justification for this payment? Did this arise from a lack of applications from Border local authorities? Finally, when did Sligo become a Border county?

An Ceann Comhairle

The question relates to County Louth.

Mr. MacSharry

The question relates to County Louth and the Deputy is misinformed because Sligo was not included in the first phase, 1981 to 1986, but is included for the second phase.

Mr. McGahon

To what tune?

Mr. MacSharry

No amounts are involved at all, and in so far as the airport or airstrip is concerned——

Mr. McDowell

Is the Minister giving Leitrim back to the English or something?

Mr. MacSharry

——it was not assisted under this because this county was not included under the scheme but, for the information of the Deputy and since I know a little bit about what happens in Sligo, I will tell the Deputy that what did assist the airstrip in Sligo and other places was the western development fund which is totally different.

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick East): Was it a Border constituency?

Mr. MacSharry

It was Deputy Noonan that added on Sligo so he should know. I am very grateful to him for doing so too.