Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Oct 2001

Vol. 543 No. 1

Written Answers. - EU Funding.

Jim Higgins

Ceist:

129 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Finance the level of European Union financial assistance available for schemes and projects within the Objective One region; and the level of European Union financial assistance available for schemes and projects in the non-European Union regions. [25707/01]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

EU financial assistance is provided through structural funds including the community initiatives, the Cohesion Fund and trans-European network, TENS, funding.

The Objective One, BMW, region was allocated 1,253.3 million, £987.1 million between 2000-06 in EU structural funds assistance. The Peace II operational programme provides further structural fund assistance to the BMW region of 106 million, £83.5 million; therefore the total structural fund contribution to the BMW region is 1,359.3 million, £1,070.5 million. The southern and eastern region, which is referred to as the Objective One in transition region, has been allocated financial assistance from the structural funds of 1,812.8 million, £1,427.7 million. The larger amount for the southern and eastern, S&E, region reflects the region's higher population. On a per capita basis the figures are 1,360.3, £1,071.3, for the BMW region and 652.4 £513.8 for the S&E region. There is further EU financial assistance of 567.4 million, £446.9 million, available from the Cohesion Fund and 42.8 million, £33.7 million under the trans-European networks, TENS, funds, these are provided for projects at national level.

As regards community initiatives, the INTERREG III programmes, which run from 2000-2006 provide assistance for cross Border programmes, Strand A, and trans-national programmes, Strands B and C, to Ireland. The most significant of these are the INTERREG IIIA pro grammes with the BMW region receiving funding from the Ireland-Northern Ireland programme of 53.6 million, £42.2 million, and the S&E region receiving 17.8 million, £14 million from the Ireland-Wales INTERREG programme. The total amount of funding available to Ireland under the trans-national programmes, Strands B and C, is 17.5 million, £13.8 million.

There are three other community initiatives: Equal, Leader+ and Urban. The total amount of EU financial assistance payable to Ireland under these initiatives in the period 2000-2006 is 85.5 million, £67.3 million.

Substantial EU financial assistance is also paid to Ireland under the Common Agriculture Policy for which the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development is the responsible Minister.