Patrick D. Harte
Ceist:14 Mr. Harte asked the Taoiseach the amount of money allocated by his Department under the EU peace initiative fund; and his views on the way in which such funding has been allocated in this State. [23006/96]
Written Answers. - Peace and Reconciliation Programme.
The total amount of funding available from my Department for the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation is approximately £18.7 million. This represents funding from the Exchequer and the European Commission for 1996 and 1997.
The funding will be drawn down by Area Development Management — ADM — Ltd., the intermediary for the programme, for transmission to the local beneficiaries. A joint management committee of the Combat Poverty Agency and ADM allocates funds to particular projects. My Department has no responsibility for the selection or allocation of funds.
A sum of £4.4 million has been allocated to date by ADM and the Combat Poverty Agency. It is expected that another £3 million will be allocated by the end of December. There are a number of intermediary funding bodies involved in the programme. ADM and the Combat Poverty Agency jointly administer eleven measures under the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. Co-operation North, in association with IBEC/CBI — NI — acts as an intermediary body for the measure on cross-Border business and cultural links. The county council-led task forces which have been established in each Border county to implement measures designed to boost urban and rural regeneration in Border areas affected by the conflict have made their allocations for this year.
While there was some delay in putting in place the delivery mechanisms for the programme, the number and quality of projects now coming forward is very satisfactory and the intermediary funding bodies are working well.