Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 2

Written Answers. - EU Funding.

Seymour Crawford

Ceist:

521 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the amount of task force funding available under Priority 1 measures 3.3, 3.4 and 4.2 to the six southern Border counties to be used before December 2004; the amount of that fund which has already been allocated on a county basis; when a commitment will be given to each county council for the balance of the fund in order that projects can be agreed, plans put in place and all the moneys utilised in a planned and proper way; if the Government's portion of the funding has been provided for in order that the EU funding can be drawn down in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18307/03]

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Cullen):

The EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 2000 – 2004, Peace II, is aimed at assisting those communities in the Border region which have been adversely affected during the conflict. The county council-led task forces in the Border region are responsible for the delivery of the locally-based regeneration and development strategies priority at a local level. The total amount of EU and Exchequer funding available to the task forces under these measures is €22.6 million.

My Department has allocated just over €8 million this year to the six task forces under Peace II. This included €4.49 million which the task forces committed to various projects last year. The following table sets out the allocations to date on a county basis.

Task Force	2003 allocations
	€
Cavan	1,100,000
Donegal	2,200,000
Leitrim	863,000
Louth	1,400,000
Monaghan	1,600,000
Sligo	863,000
Total	8,026,000

The Government is committed to providing funding to ensure that the task forces secure the maximum funding possible over the life of the Peace II Programme, subject to compliance with EU requirements for funding of programmes. Allocations for 2004 will be made early next year. Task forces must ensure that legally binding contracts are entered into by all beneficiaries under these measures by the end of 2004 and expenditure is incurred and drawn down by the end of 2006.