Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Feb 1999

Vol. 501 No. 2

Written Answers. - EU Funding.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

163 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Public Enterprise further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 16 February 1999 the EU Structural Funds allocated to projects supporting the development at advanced communications networks and services; the regions concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5675/99]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

In 1998, I engaged a consortium of consultants, led by Norcontel (Ireland) Limited to manage on an independent basis the call for and evaluation of proposals for European Union co-funded projects supporting the development of advanced communications networks and services in parts of the country where private investment or the marketplace would not provide such infrastructure on its own. These projects were required to meet criteria set down under European Union Community Support Framework regulations to qualify for co-funding.

The successful proposals included:

Companies	Area	Structural funding in Millions of Euros	INTERREG funding in Millions of Euros
NTL	Letterkenny, Derry and Sligo	7.0	2.5
Esat Telecom	Athlone, Carlow, Clonmel, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Letterkenny, Limerick, Maynooth, Sligo, Thurles and Tralee	1.9	0.0
Suir Nore Relays	Clonmel and Kilkenny	2.0
Cablelink	Tallaght	1.0	0.0
Cable Management Ireland	Castlebar	0.7	0.0

NTL has subsequently informed the Department that it does not wish to proceed with its proposal. Draft contracts have issued to the remaining companies and these should be signed shortly to ensure the roll-out of infrastructure. The Department has now asked Norcontel (Ireland) Limited to investigate whether any of the unsuccessful proposals might prove an appropriate substitute for the NTL proposal.