Written Answers. - National Development Plan.
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
192
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Finance
the sections and division of the European Commission which are involved in assisting and-or monitoring the implementation of those aspects of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility; the name of the senior EU official with responsibility for that role; the number of meetings that have taken place since the publication of the national development plan between officials of his Department and the relevant officials of the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5608/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
193
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Finance
if he will state for that section of the national plan for which he has responsibility implementation, the number of consultants who have been hired by his Department to assist with the design or implementation of the national development plan; the projects in which they are engaged; the cost of those projects; the approximate professional fee cost the consultants will charge his Department on completion of the consultancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5623/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
194
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Finance
the aspect of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility; the precise number of projects which are a part of that section of the national plan for which his Department has responsibility; the number of personnel in his Department who are working full-time and part-time on the national development plan; their grade within the Civil Service; the budgeted cost for each project; the timetable for its implementation; the stage at which it is at; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5640/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
195
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Finance
the number of groups, both statutory and non-statutory but excluding local authorities, with which his Department is in regular contact or consultation in respect of the implementation of that section of the national plan for which his Department has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5658/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
196
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Finance
if he will outline, in respect of that section of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility, the number of potential public-private partnerships that have been identified; the number under active consideration; the name, location and potential cost of such projects; if any exchange of letters has taken place; if any other initial firm commitment has been entered into with prospective private providers; the approximate capital value of all projects so identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5684/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 to 196, inclusive, together.
To assist the Deputy's understanding of the information supplied in my response and in the response of other Ministers to similar questions, I am setting out a brief overview of the arrangements for managing and monitoring the implementation of the National Development Plan, 2000-06.
My Department has overall responsibility for the management and implementation of the NDP and the community support framework for Ireland 2000-06. The CSF is the Structural Funds co-financed element of the NDP. While my Department has overall responsibility for ensuring delivery of the plan, other than managing and implementing some of the measures under the technical assistance programme, it is not directly involved in implementing projects and schemes under the operational programmes. The implementation of projects and schemes is primarily a matter for the implementing Departments, State bodies, local authorities etc.
Under the arrangements for managing and implementing the NDP, there is a managing authority for each operational programme with responsibility for monitoring implementation of that programme. The managing authorities for each operational programme are as follows:
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NDP/CSF
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Department of Finance
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Economic and SocialInfrastructure OP
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Department of Environment and Local Government
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Employment and HumanResources OP
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Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
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Productive Sector OP
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Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
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S&E Regional OP
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Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly
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BMW Regional OP
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Border, Midland & Western Regional Assembly
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Peace OP
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Special EU Programmes Body
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Technical Assistance OP
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Department of Finance
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The various implementing bodies in each operational programme report physical and financial progress to the managing authority which in turn reports progress and, as appropriate, makes any proposals for reprogramming to the monitoring committee. The monitoring committee is responsible for taking reprogramming decisions in respect of Structural Funds co-financed expenditure. It may only make recommendations in respect of non-co-financed expenditure. There is also a separate monitoring committee for the NDP-CSF with responsibility for taking decisions across programmes. The monitoring committees generally comprise, as full members, representatives of the managing authorities, the implementing bodies, each of the four strands of the social partners, regional assemblies and regional authorities and bodies responsible for the horizontal concerns of equality, the environment, poverty and rural development and, as advisory members, representatives of the European Commission and the NDP-CSF evaluation unit and the NDP-CSF information unit.
Within the European Commission, there are a number of DGs involved in monitoring the CSF for Ireland, namely DGs Regio, Employ, Agri, Fish, Env and Fin. DG Regio is the lead directorate with responsibility for co-ordinating the Commission's position. Directorate C in DG Regio which also covers Germany, the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom is responsible for the CSF for Ireland. The senior official with responsibility for Ireland in Directorate C is Mrs. Elisabeth Slavkoff, director.
Officials of my Department are in ongoing contact both formally and informally with the European Commission, the managing authorities for the operational programmes and Government Departments, the NDP-CSF evaluation unit, the NDP-CSF information unit and the social partners in connection with monitoring implementation of the NDP.
Since publication of the NDP, officials from the Department of Finance, together with officials of the managing authorities, met representatives from the EU Commission on 18 occasions These meetings were concerned with the negotiation of the community support framework – seven meetings and the operational programmes – 11 meetings. In addition, the first meetings of monitoring committees for the NDP-CSF and the technical assistance operational programme which were chaired by my Department were held on 20 October and 29 November 2000, respectively. My officials also attended the first meetings of the OP monitoring committees. Officials from my Department also briefed a plenary meeting of the PPF on progress on implementation of the NDP on 25 January of this year.
Consultancies related to the NDP for which my Department is directly responsible amount to £850,397.86. These costs relate primarily to two consultancies for the planning and design of a computer system to monitor the NDP and two consultancies on the design of the launch of the NDP and the cover of the NDP. The NDP-CSF information and evaluation units which are co-funded by my Department and the European Union have also engaged in consultancy work in relation to the NDP-CSF to the value of £267,024 to date.
Primary responsibility for implementation of the NDP within the Department of Finance rests with a subdivision of the finance division headed up by an assistant secretary who is also responsible for general EU policy co-ordination, North-South EU-funded programmes and services provided by the office of the accountant in my Department. The NDP-CSF monitoring committee is chaired by this assistant secretary. Reporting to the assistant secretary on the NDP are two principal officers, six assistant principals, two administrative officers, three higher executive officers and one clerical officer. As NDP expenditure is provided for in the Estimates volume and in the public capital programme officials in the public expenditure division of my Department would also be involved in implementation of the NDP.
