Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 1

Written Answers. - Community Support Framework.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

87 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance the detailed changes between the programmes and projects set out in the National Development Plan, 1994 to 1999, and the recently published Community Support Framework, 1994 to 1999, arising from the shortfall of EU funds. [1226/94]

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

The National Development Plan and the Community Support Framework set out, inter alia, the development objectives, the priorities adopted for Community assistance and the indicative financing plan. Following adoption of the Community Support Framework, the operational programmes are approved. These set out in more detail the objectives and measures for each of the main sectors. None of these deal with comprehensive lists of projects. Only a small number of individual projects are even mentioned in the National Development Plan or Community Support Framework. The selection of individual projects is a further phase following the approval of the operational programmes. Project selection is a process that will continue right through the implementation period. Accordingly information at the level sought by the Deputy is not available.

The following table sets out a comparison of the structural expenditure (excluding Community Initiatives) by broad programme area set out in the plan and the amounts by broad programme area as agreed in the Community Support Framework 1994-1999.

	PLAN (constant 1993 Prices)	CSF (Constant 1994 prices)
	£m(1)	£m(1)
	1994-1999	1994-1999
Sector(2)
Industry	3,681	3,419
Agriculture & Forestry	1,448	1,442
Fisheries	146	167
Tourism	583	543
Local Development(3)	383	297
Human Resources(3)	3,988	3,701
Transport	2,605	2,606
Energy & Communications	3,067	3,200
Environmental Services	655	650
Hospital Infrastructure	113	105
CSF Technical Assistance	8	11
Total	16,677(4)	16,141(4)

Notes:

(1) The figures published in the CSF are expressed in ECU whereas the figures in the plan were expressed in Irish Pounds. For ease of comparison the CSF figures have been converted into Irish Pounds.

(2) The sectors are as set out in the National Development Plan. The Operational Programmes will cover broadly the same areas. However, human resources measures for the various sectors which for most sectors in the plan were shown under the human resources heading rather than the relevant sectoral heading will be included in the relevant sectoral operational programme e.g. tourism training is shown under human resources in the heading above but is included under the tourism operational programme. There may be some differences in the definition of categories between the plan and the CSF but these are not significant.

(3) In the plan human resources measures relating to local development were shown under local development. In this table they are shown under the human resources category in line with the other sectors.

(4) These figures include the cohesion Fund aid and grant aid under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism. These are not governed by the Community Support Framework but by separate administrative procedures.

It should be noted that the figures set out in the table above include EU Structural and Cohesion Fund aid (excluding Community Initiatives), eligible Exchequer expenditure (both co-financed and unco-financed), eligible non-Exchequer public expenditure (both co-financed and unco-financed), private sector matching finance and associated private sector finance. The pro-rata reduction applied by Government to deal with the shortfall of EU Structural Funds aid applied to the combined Exchequer and EU aid allocation excluding Cohesion Fund expenditure. Any consequential effects on non-Exchequer public and private sector expenditure varied by sector.