Phil Hogan
Ceist:47 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance the initiatives, if any, he will be taking, legislative or otherwise, to comply with the terms of the Maastricht Treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Maastricht Treaty.
The Government's policy is to ensure that the criteria for European Monetary Union will be met and our budget and economic policies are designed to achieve them. This will continue to be the position. In addition, a new Central Bank Bill is in preparation to make the small adjustments necessary to ensure that Central Bank's powers and duties are in line with the requirements of the Treaty and that the bank is fully empowered in law to carry into effect the relevant parts of the Treaty. The Bill will be introduced later this year.
The Treaty provides for the continuation of the existing Structural Funds and the creation of a new Cohesion Fund which will assist projects in the fields of environment and transport in the context of trans-European networks in the four poorest member states including Ireland. I indicated in this year's Budget Statement the projects which are being forwarded for Cohesion Fund assistance in 1993. The National Development Plan which will set out the Government's proposals for the use of the Structural and Cohesion Funds in the period 1994 to 1999 is being prepared at present. In the context of preparations of the National Development Plan full account will be taken of policy priorities contained in the Protocol to the Maastricht Treaty.