Gerry Reynolds
Ceist:118 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Taoiseach the money allocated and spent to date in 2001 by his Department in each county excluding the BMW region under the national development plan. [25391/01]
Written Answers. - National Development Plan.
My Department does not operate any grant schemes under the national development plan. Grant schemes which are operated by my Department are in respect of the Sailors and Soldiers Trust, commemoration initiatives and millennium celebrations. However, these are not funded under the national development plan. Some of the funding from these schemes would go to projects in the southern and eastern region, although they are not classified on a regional basis. Information on these schemes can be provided to the Deputy if he wishes.
Gerry Reynolds
Ceist:119 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the money allocated and spent to date in 2001 by her Department in each county excluding the BMW region under the national development plan. [25392/01]
My Department is the designated managing authority for two of the operational programmes under the national development plan. These are the productive sector operational programme and the employment and human resources development operational programme. My Department is also responsible for a number of measures under the regional operational programmes. Measures in the operational programmes are administered by the State-agencies under the aegis of my Department. Expenditure broken down at county level is not available.
Under the productive sector operational programme the agencies involved in implementing measures are IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development. The allocation of spending in the southern and eastern region by these agencies for the full year 2001 is 477 million and provisional returns from the agencies indicate that 78.6 million has been spent to end June 2001.
While expenditure under the productive sector operational programme by the development agencies has been less than forecast their expenditure on investment and other programmes overall is on target. There are a number of reasons for the low expenditure on the productive sector operational programme. Expenditure was still continuing in 2001 in respect of commitments made up to the end of 1999 under the industry operational programme 1994-99. In addition there was a considerable delay in a number of measures in obtaining State aid approval from the European Commission. Also with new schemes there is an inevitable time lag from the launch of schemes to the receipt and evaluation of proposals and the incurring of expenditure. It is anticipated that the level of expenditure under the programme will come on target over the next two years.
Under the employment and human resources development operational programme the agencies involved in implementing measures are FÁS and Enterprise Ireland. The allocation for spending in the southern and eastern region under the operational programme by these agencies in 2001 is 636.67 million and provisional returns from the agencies indicate that 285.931 million has been spent to end June 2001.
Under the regional operational programmes the county enterprise boards are responsible for implementing the measure. The allocation for spending in the southern and eastern region in the two operational programmes in 2001 is 20.1 million of which 8.8 million has been spent to end June 2001.