James Leonard
Ceist:369 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for the Marine the amount of funding for tourism angling allocated to County Monaghan under INTERREG A and B, the operation programmes for the past two years. [24680/96]
Written Answers. - INTERREG Programme.
The fisheries — European Regional Development Fund — measure of the INTERREG II Programme, 1994 to 1999, provides funding for the protection, conservation and development of fisheries in the Border region. My Department and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland are the responsible authorities in so far as the implementation of the fisheries measures of the INTERREG II Programme is concerned.
A project involving the rehabilitation of salmon on the Erne catchment was approved under that measure in December 1995. The project was drawn up by the relevant agencies North and South including the Electricity Supply Board, the Marine Institute, the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland and the Northern Regional Fisheries Board. This project, which involves a total investment of £1.77 million, aims to reintroduce salmon to the Erne tributaries with a view to producing a selfsustaining population and the creation of angling tourism revenue and employment.
As the Deputy is aware, the Erne catchment. which is divided approximately evenly between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, is located mainly in Counties Fermanagh, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan but also encompasses parts of Counties Tyrone, Donegal and Longford. It is not possible, therefore, to provide a breakdown of actual and proposed expenditure under this project on a county by county basis. I have, however, asked the Northern Regional Fisheries Board to provide the Deputy with details of the works being undertaken in Monaghan.