Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1993

Vol. 436 No. 1

Written Answers. - Aid Received from INTERREG and REGIS Programmes.

John Bruton

Ceist:

35 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the aid received in Ireland under each of the Community Initiatives, INTERREG and REGIS, both in terms of the results achieved and the amounts of money received; if Ireland has not received aid under these initiatives; and if not, the reason therefor.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

The INTERREG programme is a Community initiative designed to assist the border regions of the Community overcome problems of peripherality and underdevelopment and to encourage cross-border co-operation. In the Irish context we have a joint programme with Northern Ireland. It covers counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth and all of Northern Ireland with the exception of Belfast. The programme provides grants for a variety of projects in the tourism, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, human resources, environmental protection, community development and infrastructural areas. It also assists organisations and companies on both sides of the border such as the chambers of commerce to come together in joint marketing and economic development measures.

Two hundred and sixty-six projects have been assisted under INTERREG to date and I am pleased to say that a significant number are of a cross-border nature. Total funding for the programme, which runs until the end of this year, amounts to over £118 million of which the EC contribution is £66 million.

An independent assessment carried out recently indicated that the programme has been effective in a difficult economic environment and has made a significant contribution to both of its objectives.

The REGIS initiative is applicable only to the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the French overseas departments.