John Ellis
Ceist:186 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will give details of the grant-aid which is available for tourism-related projects; and the amount of grant available in respect of each project. [23709/96]
Written Answers. - Tourism Grants.
Under the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-99, £369 million is being made available from the European Union as grantaid for tourism related projects. Grants under the product development and marketing sub-programmes of the operational programme are approved by independent management boards established under the programme. Details of grants for individual projects are contained in the annual reports of the management boards, the latest of which covers the period to the end of December 1995 and copies of which are available in the Dáil Library. Grants under the natural-cultural tourism sub-programme are administered by the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht and under the training sub-programme by the Department of Education and CERT.
Under the Ireland-Northern Ireland INTERREG II Programme, EU funds of £10 million have been allocated to tourism development under the tourism measure over the period 1994 to 1999. Tourism projects in the South are evaluated by Bord Fáilte and recommended for final decision at the Tourism and Culture Working Group.
Under the Ireland-Wales (Maritime) INTERREG II Programme, EU funds of £3.8 million have been made available to tourism development under the tourism and cultural cooperation measure over the period 1994-99. The Economic Development Working Group approves tourism projects for funding under the programme.
Other EU-funded programmes, such as the programme for agriculture, rural development and forestry, which is an agri-tourism scheme, and the Leader II Programme administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry together with the Local Urban and Rural Development Programme also provide assistance for tourism initiatives. The International Fund for Ireland and the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation provide funding for tourism related projects in the Border counties.
I have already given details of the measures in the EU funded peace programme which provide support for tourism development in a written reply to Deputy Brendan Smith on Wednesday, 16 October 1996, Official Report, volume 470, columns 413-4.