Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 15 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 7

Written Answers. - Operational Programme for Industry.

Seán Barrett

Ceist:

27 Mr. S. Barrett asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will outline the workings of the operational programme for industry under the EC Regional Development Fund; and moneys available to Ireland under this programme and the conditions which apply to funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. O'Malley)

The operational programme for industry is an integrated, milti-annual programme covering the five years 1989-1993. It was approved by the Commission of the European Communities on 21 December 1989 and copies of the programme were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and placed in the library of the House in January last.

The programme covers, in the form of nine separate sub-programmes and related measures, the main industrial development activities of the IDA, SFADCo, CTT, the Irish Goods Council, EOLAS, the Office of Science and Technology, Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Irish Productivity Centre and the industrial training activities for which the Department of Labour have the lead responsibility. The programme provides a detailed description of the objectives, activities and projected annual expenditure under each sub-programme and for 41 separate measures.

The implementation of the programme is undertaken by the agencies already listed. Progress in relation to implementation is overseen by a monitoring committee chaired by the Department of Industry and Commerce and including representatives of the implementing agencies, Government Departments, the Commission of the European Communities, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Federation of Irish Employers and the Confederation of Irish Industry, Under the programme there is a requirement for this committee to meet at least twice every year and to prepare annual reports on implementation which I will arrange to have placed in the Library of the House when available. The implementation of the programme will also be subjected to objective external evaluation by consultants to be engaged by the Department of Industry and Commerce in consultation with the Commission and reporting to the monitoring committee. It is anticipated that the consultants will be appointed within the next few months.

The moneys available to Ireland under the programme are in ECUs and were committed as part of the Community Support Framework agreed between Ireland and the Commission in October 1989. The total commitment under the industry programme amounts to 1,019 million ECUs. Of that amount 534 million ECUs are committed under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and 485.5 million ECUs are committed under the European Social Fund (ESF). In Irish punt terms these figures amount approximately to a total of £794 million made up of £416 million to ERDF moneys and £378 million of ESF moneys.

The conditions which apply to funding under the programme are set out in annex 5 of the programme, copies of which, as I have indicated already, were laid before the House and placed in the Library of the House in January last. A final version of this annex has subsequently been forwarded by the Commission, a copy of which I will arrange to have conveyed to the Deputy, and copies will also be placed in the Library of the House. The conditions are of a detailed and technical nature to a large extent and include the requirements and proposals of the Commission in relation to accounting and payment procedures, financial control, monitoring and evaluation procedures, information and publicity observation of Community policies, supplementary information requirements and so on.