Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Dec 1997

Vol. 484 No. 3

Written Answers. - County Enterprise Boards.

Derek McDowell

Ceist:

107 Mr. McDowell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the proposed cut in the 1998 Estimates provision for the county enterprise boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22033/97]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Miss Harney)

For 1998, the county enterprise board have been allocated £21.243 million, an increase of £0.092 million on the original 1997 Estimates allocation of £21.151 million.

The Joint Committee on Enterprise, Small Business and Trade considered a Supplementary Estimate of £1.5 million for the county enterprise boards on 4 December 1997, which is to go before the House for approval today. The Supplementary Estimate, if approved, will increase the expected outturn for the CEBs in 1997 to £22.651 million.

In addition to the allocation provided for in subhead G1 of my Department's Vote, it is worth noting that the county enterprise boards have access to a separate line of funding for their activities under measure 4 of sub-programme 1 of the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development, 1994-99. The boards' activities in management development training are co-financed by the ESF and receipts from the European Union are paid out of a suspense account administered by my Department. Receipts from the European Social Fund are expected to exceed £1 million in 1998, a figure broadly comparable to expenditure in 1997.

It is also important to understand that expenditure projections for the county enterprise boards over any twelve month period may vary in accordance with the level and maturation for payment of the projects which have already been approved, taken together with the drawdown against those yet to be approved in the year ahead. Since 1996, it has been the practice for county enterprise boards to consider applications for financial assistance on a phased basis throughout the year. The stabilisation of this process in the course of 1997 has had the effect of reducing pressure on the 1998 Estimates, while ensuring that there will be adequate provision for a reasonable carryover of newly approved projects into 1999 — the final year of the Operational Programme for Local, Urban and Rural Development.