Vol. 547 No. 1
431 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Finance if formal application has been made to the European Commission in respect of the extension of the deadline for the business elements of the urban renewal scheme which is subject to European Union state rules; if such application has already been made; and his views as to the likely timescale for a determination by the Commission. [2199/02]
The European Commission has not yet been formally notified of the proposed two year extension to the 31 December 2002 deadline of the business elements of the urban renewal scheme. In order to examine the application the European Commission will require the draft legislative provisions. These provisions will not be available until the Finance Bill, 2002, is published around 11 February 2002 and it is intended to formally notify the Commission of the extension to the scheme as soon as possible thereafter. The timescale for dealing with the notification is a matter for the Commission and every effort will be made to assist it in dealing with the application as quickly as possible.
