Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Dec 1996

Vol. 472 No. 3

Written Answers. - Peace and Reconciliation Programme.

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

39 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the funding, if any, available to his Department and/or the State development agencies under the European Union's Programme for Peace and Reconciliation towards the development of the industrial infrastructure in the Border region; the projects, if any, which will be assisted in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23162/96]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

There is no funding available to my Department under the special EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation to support the development of industrial infrastructure. There are two measures under the programme which can be used to support the development of industrial infrastructure, sub-programme 2 (c) Measure 2 — (community-led development) and sub-programme 5 measure 2 — new industrial development services. Both of these measures are implemented by Area Development Management Ltd. (ADM) under global grant agreements signed between it and the European Commission.

While my Department was not given operational responsibility for the measures concerned, it, and the relevant development agencies under its aegis, are available to render any assistance of an advisory nature to ADM in respect of any applications for assistance for industrial infrastructure which it has received.

The Deputy may appreciate that investment in industrial infrastructure requires to be underpinned by investment in roads, water and sanitary services, electricity and telecommunications. In this respect, apart from considerable assistance available in these areas under the relevant main operational programmes, substantial funding is provided under the Peace and Reconciliation and Interreg Programmes specifically for such developments in the Border counties.