Vol. 394 No. 8
467 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if and when funds are to be made available for the development of the Peat Interpretative Centre and Museum at Lullymore, Rathangan, County Kildare; if so, the source of such funds; the extent of the funds; if his attention has been drawn to the important work being undertaken at Lullymore; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
473 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the total number of projects in the north-west for which Structural Fund application have been made; the names of these projects; the total capital cost of these projects; the number which have been approved; the number rejected; and the number still under consideration.
474 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if any structural funds or other grants are available for improvement/building work on restaurants in tourist areas.
475 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will provide details of the tourism grants allocated to (a) Leitrim County Council, (b) Sligo County Council and (c) Sligo Corporation from the Structural Funds grant programme, which he recently announced.
476 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will give details of the full list of tourist related projects which have already been approved for Structural Funds in the north-west; and the amount of money allocated to each such project.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 467, 473, 474, 475 and 476 together, as they all relate in one way or another to applications for assistance for tourism development from EC Structural Funds.
The Operational Programme for Tourism approved by the EC on 21 December 1989 provides for the investment of over £146 million of Structural Funds in the sector over the period 1989-1993. Copies of the programme have already been lodged in the Dáil Library.
Structural Funds will be allocated under three separate sub-programmes: Sub-Programme 1 — £51 million ERDF to assist tourism developments by public/similar bodies; Sub-Programme 2 — over £66 million ERDF to assit private sector tourism development and promotion; and Sub-Programme 3 — over £28 million ESF for tourism training by CERT and the Department of Education.
Detailed budgets and strict criteria are laid out in the Programme under all 3 Sub-Programmes. The Deputies' questions relate exclusively, however, to Sub-Programmes 1 and 2.
Under Sub-Programme 1 some £28 million has been allocated to the OPW to enable them to carry out a major revamp of a number of important cultural and heritage attractions and inland waterways. The remaining £23 million under this Sub-Programme will be administered by Bord Fáilte and SFADCo for tourism works to be carried out by local authorities, regional tourism organisations, fisheries boards and other State and semi-State bodies. Projects will be selected in accordance with criteria outlined in the Programme and I understand from the two agencies that work on this selection process is now under way.
