Vol. 470 No. 7
142 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the Cohesion Funds approved in respect of the planning stage of Westport sewerage scheme, County Mayo, further to an adjournment debate of 22 October 1996; the amount received or to be received up to the closing-off period; and the anticipated or estimated loss of Cohesion Funds between the closing-off period and the subsequent construction phase. [19929/96]
143 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for the Environment the meaning of a scheme being closed-off in the context of a Cohesion Fund application; whether the EU has ever closed-off a scheme or part of a scheme since the inception of Cohesion Fund financing here; and if he will give details of subsequent developments as it affected such schemes. [19930/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.
"Closing off" a Cohesion Fund scheme is an administrative arrangement between the national authorities and the European Commission whereby the Commission limit their commitment to co-financing a scheme, or stage of a scheme, at a given level of expenditure. The procedure has not been used to date but two schemes that have been delayed at planning stage, namely the Westport and Tramore sewerage schemes, are currently in the process of being closed off. The Westport and Tramore sewerage schemes, are currently in the process of being closed off. This procedure does not, in itself, affect future applications for the co-financing of further stages of the schemes nor does it affect the overall level of Cohesion funding available in Ireland.
Cohesion Funding of £2.2 million was approved by the European Commission for stage 1 of the Westport sewerage scheme in March 1994; to date, a total of £912,000 has been received from the Commission towards expenditure on Stage 1. The final level of eligible expenditure for Stage 1 has yet to be agreed with the Commission.
