Written Answers. - National Conference Centre.
Tony Gregory
Ceist:
354
Mr. Gregory
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 67 of 13 October 1999, agreement was finalised on the necessary contracts by 15 October 1999; if not, if the European Commission has agreed to an extension of time for the signing of the contracts or the drawing down of the grants; if the Commission has been made aware of the planning appeals process under Irish law; if he has contracted An Bord Pleanála in this regard; and, if so, the reason.
[24401/99]
The Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-99, includes provision for 33 million ecu, approximately £26 million, in European Regional Development Fund grant aid for the construction of a conference centre in Dublin capable of handling up to 2,000 delegates.
Following the failure of processes in 1995 and 1996 to secure an appropriate proposal, a new tender procedure, organised by Bord Fáilte, under the direction of the independent management board for product development, and conducted in accordance with EU Council Directive 93/37/EEC, was launched in September 1997. This process culminated in June 1998 in the selection of the proposal submitted by Spencer Dock International Convention Centre Limited, to go forward for European Regional Development Fund grant-aid to develop the conference centre at a site in Dublin's docklands. The proposal was then subjected to an independent cost benefit analysis.
In September 1998, the Government agreed to the making of a submission to the European Commission recommending formal approval for a 33 million ecu European Regional Development Fund grant towards the cost of developing the project. The Commission's approval, in principle, for the grant was notified in November 1998 subject to resolution of an outstanding procedural complaint and a decision on the compatibility of possible preferential tax regimes with state-aid rules.
The Commission closed its file on the complaint in April 1999. Since then, and following consultations between the developer and Bord Fáilte, I have been in correspondence with the Commission about how the schedule for completion of the project can be accommodated within the various operational programmes and CSF deadlines. The Commission is aware of our planning framework including the appeals process.
Agreement was finalised on contractual details between Bord Fáilte and the developers, and submitted to my Department on Monday 18 October last. The developers have undertaken to execute these contracts in the event of an appropriate extension of time being granted by the European Commission in relation to the draw down of the grant. The details were forwarded to the EU Commission to facilitate its consideration of the case for extension of the schedule for the project within the various deadlines.
I am now just clarifying certain aspects of their response with the Commission. I expect these discussions to be concluded in the very near future, and then confirm the position to the developers.
I have not been in contact with An Bord Pleanála with regard to this issue.
