Brendan Smith
Ceist:148 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the projects which will be assisted in the tourism area under EU peace and reconciliation funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18839/96]
Written Answers. - Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
Overall ministerial responsibility for the administration of the Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation lies with the Minister for Finance.
While there is no specific tourism programme in the special support programme for peace and reconciliation, tourism-related projects are eligible for assistance under a number of measures. These include: urban and village renewal and tourism — using European Regional Development Fund Funds; village renewal and tourism — EAGGF funds; community-led development — using European Regional Development Fund funds; and co-operation between public bodies — using European Regional Development Fund and ESF funds. In addition, the productive investment and industrial development measure includes a scheme for providing subsidised loans for which tourism projects are also eligible.
The peace and reconciliation programme places a particular emphasis on a bottom-up approach to development. Under the terms of the programme, the work of initiating and approving projects for grant assistance is carried out at local level by the county council-led task forces — in the case of the urban and rural regeneration measures — and by the specially appointed intermediary bodies, ADM Limited and the Combat Poverty Agency — in the case of the community-led development measure. The role of my Department is limited to simply responding to requests from these bodies to confirm that projects under consideration for assistance conform with overall tourism policy.
On the interest subsidy scheme, I am advised by the Department of Finance, who are responsible for its implementation, that the scheme is now fully subscribed and that a significant number of the projects approved to date are in the tourism sector.