Written Answers. - Objective One Status.
Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:
145
Cecilia Keaveney
asked the
Minister for Finance
the advantages under his Department's remit that have accrued to County Donegal and the north west region arising from the Objective One designation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6038/02]
I understand the Deputy has put a similar question down to all Ministers who will respond in respect of their areas of responsibility.
The general benefits for the BMW region, including County Donegal of being classified as an Objective One region are significant. As a result over the 2000-2006 programme period, the BMW Region secured an additional €595 million in structural fund assistance compared to if it were an Objective One region in transition as is the case with the Southern and Eastern Region
Objective One status allows the BMW Region to receive EU co-funding of up to 75% for individual projects whereas the Southern and Eastern Region receives EU co-funding of 50%. Objective One status also allows the BMW region to benefit from a higher rate of permissible State Aid.
As Minister for Finance, my Department is responsible for the direct allocation and spending of funds under the Technical Assistance Operational Programme and also the Peace and INTERREG programmes. The amount spent on each of these programmes is not currently available at county levels. Therefore the amounts I will give are for the BMW region.
In the NDP-CSF Technical Assistance OP 2000-2006 the total allocation for the BMW Regional Assembly area was €1.6 million in 2000 and 2001, of which €0.16 million has been spent from 1 Jan 2000 to 30 June 2001. Spending on technical assistance traditionally accelerates as programmes progress.
My Department is also responsible for the allocation and spending of funds for the Peace II OP. The Peace II Programme was agreed with the European Commission late last year and therefore spending has just begun. This programme has EU Structural Fund assistance of €106 million and matching Exchequer funding of €35 million and in the South is exclusive to the Border region including Donegal.
County Donegal also benefits from the INTERREG IIIA programme, which runs from 2000-2006. Under the Ireland-Northern Ireland programme the Border region receives €53.6 million.
