Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Nov 2000

Vol. 527 No. 2

Written Answers. - All-Ireland Ministerial Council.

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 63 together.

I have met with Mr. Mark Durkan, MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel in the Northern Ireland Executive Committee on two occasions as part of the North South Ministerial Council – NSMC – round of sectoral meetings dealing with the special EU programmes body. Our first meeting was held in Dublin on 16 July 2000 and the second meeting was held on 15 November 2000 in Omagh. Mr. Durkan was accompanied by Mr. Sam Foster, MLA, Minister of Environment at the Dublin meeting and by Mr. Dermot Nesbitt, MLA, Minister at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, at the Omagh meeting.

Both meetings concerned the arrangements for the establishment and workings of the special EU programmes body, one of the six implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, and the range of EU programmes that body will be responsible for managing over the coming years. The body has been designated the managing authority for the new Peace and Ireland/Northern Ireland Interreg III programmes and has a particular role in promoting and monitoring the implementation of cross-border co-operative activities in the context of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and the Northern Ireland Structural Funds Plan 2000-2006. The body has also been involved in the preparation of other Community Initiatives which have recently been submitted to the European Commission. I have agreed with Mr. Durkan that the next meeting of the NSMC relating to the special EU programmes body be scheduled for next February.

Shortly after his appointment as Minister of Finance and Personnel, I met Mr. Durkan at the plenary session of the NSMC on 13 December 1999. Mr. Durkan made a courtesy call on me at my offices on 2 February 2000 and I met him again when I addressed the chamber of commerce in Derry on 27 October 2000.