Helen Keogh
Ceist:43 Ms. Keogh asked the Minister for Finance the progress, if any, which has been made in drawing up the National Development plan for the next round of EC Structural funds.
Written Answers. - National Development Plan.
Substantial work has been done to date in preparing the National Development Plan for the next round of EC Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund. There have been extensive consultations with interested parties. I have received submissions from other Ministers, from the social partners at national level, from the seven sub-regional review committees and from a number of other groups.
The central objective of the plan will be to create sustainable employment and growth and all proposals are being examined carefully in the light of this objective. The total of demands substantially exceeds the likely allocation of funds to Ireland, and the drafting of the plan involves difficult decisions on the priority areas for investment. My officials have had detailed discussion with officials of other relevant Departments in order to identify the way in which proposals in the various sectors would best meet our priority objectives. In addition, consultants were employed to evaluate the operation of the current Community Support Framework (CSF) and make recommendations for the next CSF.
Discussions are ongoing with the EC Commission on the strategic choices and priorities as perceived by them and on the strengthening of material in relation to evaluation and statistical indicators. Discussions are also ongoing with the Northern Ireland authorities with the objective of having a strong cross-Border element in both the plan for Ireland and the plan for Northern Ireland.
The Central Review Committee will be consulted before the plan is finalised. The Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the new National Economic and Social Forum will be consulted in the preparation of the plan.
While no specific deadline for the submission of the plan has been fixed as yet at EC level, I would hope that the plan will be ready for submission to the EC Commission by end May or early June. This should allow sufficient time for negotiation of the Community Support Framework and operational programmes in order that the new programmes will be in place at the start of 1994.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:44 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if it is proposed that the Chairman of the group of partnership programme managers, the individual partnership programme managers and the advisers appointed to each Minister will be asked to make a declaration of interests; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The partnership programme managers and ministerial advisers will all hold positions in the Civil Service. Some are serving civil servants who have been transferred to their present positions while others have come from outside the Civil Service and are being appointed to temporary, unestablished positions in the Civil Service. As such, they are all bound by the regulations concerning integrity and conflicts of interest which apply in the Civil Service generally, including a requirement to refrain from any outside business or activity which might conflict with their official positions and a requirement to disclose any interest which they may have in any matter connected with their official work. In addition to these long-standing regulations, the Deputy is no doubt aware of the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government for the introduction of a scheme for the registration of interests of senior civil servants and senior State body executives, the detailed arrangements for which are under consideration at present.