Vol. 531 No. 2
136 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent to which EU environmental funds were under spent in the years 1997 to 2000, inclusive, in the areas of group water scheme improvements, waste management infrastructure, research and development of clean production and under any other relevant headings. [5372/01]
The following table sets out in respect of the environmental services operational programme, 1994-99, the variations at sub-programme level between the level of the EU aid committed by the European Commission to the programme and EU funding in receipt of actual expenditure incurred.
At the end of 1999 there was a cumulative shortfall in take-up of EU aid of some – 8.3 million. This reflected, inter alia, an additional allocation to the water services sub-programme made late in the period of the programme – December 1999 – and the need for relevant environmental licensing requirements to be met in respect of the waste sub-programme.
Under the terms of the programme, commitments could be entered into up to 31 December 1999 with expenditure being incurred in 2000. While the outturn figures for 2000 are currently being compiled, the indications are that total expenditure was sufficient to ensure that any shortfall in take up of EU aid was insignificant.
|
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
Total |
|
|
Water Services |
0.00 |
0.06 |
0.10 |
0.63 |
1.01 |
1.20 |
3.00 |
|
Waste Management |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.64 |
0.35 |
-0.12 |
3.79 |
4.66 |
|
Coastal Protection |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
.00 |
|
Environmental R&D |
0.00 |
0.48 |
-0.29 |
-0.18 |
0.11 |
0.51 |
0.63 |
|
Technical Assistance |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Total |
0.00 |
0.54 |
0.45 |
0.80 |
1.00 |
5.50 |
8.29 |
