Proinsias De Rossa
Ceist:16 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Finance the Government's approach to the Agenda 2000 negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5443/99]
Written Answers. - EU Funding.
Proinsias De Rossa
Ceist:19 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Finance the regionalisation proposals recently agreed by Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5442/99]
Michael Ring
Ceist:23 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Finance if the Government has received a response from EUROSTAT on the submission to include 13 western midland and Border counties in the list which will qualify for Objective One status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5327/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:49 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the steps, if any, taken by his Department in recent months, in the performance of its leadership role and involvement in economic and European policy, to contribute to policy formation on the proposed regionalisation of the State for the purposes of retaining Objective One status for certain counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1739/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 19, 23 and 49 together.
Starting with Deputy De Rossa's first question, the Government's approach to the Agenda 2000 negotiations is set out in great detail in the Taoiseach's speech of 22 February last, of which copies will be made available in the Library. I will recapitulate the main points for the benefit of the House. Ireland's basic demands are:
first, adequate transition terms for those areas no longer eligible for Objective One treatment;
second, continued eligibility for the Cohesion Fund;
third, an adequate and equitable outcome in the agriculture area that recognises the vital contribution, unique in EU terms, which the agriculture sector makes towards the national economy.
Furthermore, Ireland has proposed that the poorer areas of the country be encompassed in a new region which, in its own right, would qualify for Objective One status. Regionalisation continues to be a fundamental priority from Ireland's point of view and the Government remains fully committed to regionalisation in line with the application submitted to EUROSTAT.
Turning to Deputy De Rossa's second question, when deciding, last November, to opt for a regionalisation approach for Structural Funds purposes the Government also decided, as the Deputy will be aware, that a revised regional structure would be needed in that context. Details of the new regional structures were announced by the Government in its press release of 9 February. These proposals were drawn up following extensive and positive consultation with representatives of the existing regional authorities.
I met with the Irish Assembly of Regional Authorities in January of this year to discuss their submissions on the National Development Plan and the implications of the Government's proposals for regionalisation on regional structures. In addition to my meeting with the Irish Assembly of Regional Authorities, a number of meetings have been held between officials of my Department and regional authority representatives, both before and after the Government's announcement of 9 February of the creation of two new group regional authorities. These meetings were held to discuss the Government's regional structures and the development of regional strategies for the Objective One region and the region in transition.
As a consequence of the Government's decision to regionalise, my Department asked the regional authorities, which will make up the two new NUTS II regions, to develop a regional strategy for each of the new regions for inputting into the NDP. The authorities have been given financial assistance to engage consultants to assist them with this task. A steering committee for each of the NUTS II regions, comprising the chairmen of the existing regional authorities, the regional directors, city and county managers and representatives of the CSF evaluation unit and my Department, has been established to oversee the preparation of the regional strategies. The draft regional strategies will be presented to each of the existing regional authorities for their consideration before finalisation and their submission to my Department.
My Department will also be engaging in the next two weeks in bilateral meetings with Government Departments to discuss their submissions on the NDP. Among the issues which will be considered at those meetings will be the regionalisation of the Departments' NDP investment proposals.
Taking up Deputy Ring's question, EUROSTAT recent reply to Ireland regionalisaton application, as I have said earlier, is negative. Despite meetings which have taken place with EUROSTAT and the supply of a great deal of information, it seems to us that EUROSTAT's response is unclear and based on some misapprehension. Clarification is clearly needed as a matter of urgency. Accordingly, a reply by the director general of the CSO addressing the issues raised by EUROSTAT was sent yesterday and an urgent meeting is being sought with EUROSTAT at the highest level to further progress the matter.
Turning finally to Deputy Bruton's question regarding my Department's role in the formation of the regionalisation proposal, I refer to my reply to questions in the House on 14 October last, in which I gave details of the steps taken by my Department in relation to the regionalisation proposal. As part of the process of preparing the groundwork on this issue, my Department intensively examined and analysed the various implications of any regionalisation approach. This examination-analysis involved formal consultations with all other Government Departments; also involved were official contacts with the Commission and with EUROSTAT. The results of this examination were presented to the Ministers and Secretaries-General Group on EU policy and, with their approval, were later submitted to the Government.