I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 162 together.
I have been advised that an indicative budget of €30.476 million in total of Exchequer funding was originally identified for the tourism and recreational angling measure under the regional operational programmes of the 2000-06 national development plan. Some €21.4 million was identified for the BMW regional operational programme and some €9 million was allocated to the southern and eastern operational programme. The launch of the measure was delayed pending state aid clearance from the EU Commission, which was received in March 2002. I understand that it was decided in 2002, in the context of other budgetary priorities, to curtail the actual allocation to the measure.
Following a limited call for applications, however, over 60 applications were received and were assessed by a project assessment committee that was established to examine projects in accordance with the approved programme complement. A number of projects were approved for funding by the tourism product selection board that was established to assess tourism projects. The expenditure incurred to the end of 2002 was €504,025 in the BMW region and €715,154 in the southern and eastern region. The projects to which funding was allocated are listed in the table.
The Economic and Social Research Institute's mid-term evaluation of the marine tourism sub-measure of the 2000-06 national development plan concluded that the external environment in the tourism sector had deteriorated to the extent that further investment in the sector would be unlikely to have a high return. The institute recommended that the indicative budget for the measure in question should be reallocated to other priority tourism measures. No expenditure was incurred in respect of the measure in 2003, 2004 or 2005 and no expenditure has been provided for it in the 2006 budget of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
I will now outline the projects which were allocated funding under the tourism and recreational angling measure in the various regional fisheries board areas.
|
Project No.
|
Description
|
Batch
|
WRFB
|
2
|
Cong Recreational Development
|
BMW — Game
|
|
3
|
Game & Coarse Regional Angling Guide
|
BMW — Game & Coarse
|
CFB
|
5
|
On-line Sale Of National Salmon Licences
|
Other — Game
|
|
37
|
Production Of Rainbow Trout Fish Farm Offaly
|
BMW — Game
|
|
38
|
Study To Quantify National Freshwater Salmon Habitat Asset
|
Other — Game
|
|
39
|
Study Re Implementation Of National Carcass Tagging Scheme & Rod Licence Distribution
|
Other — Game
|
|
51
|
Establishment Of A New National Photographic Archive And Library
|
Other — Other
|
|
52
|
National Corporate Stand
|
Other — Other
|
|
56
|
National Angling Festivals Support Scheme
|
Other — Other
|
|
67
|
Economic/socio-economic Evaluation Of Wild Salmon In Ireland
|
S&E — Game
|
NRFB
|
6
|
Erection Of Structures To Facilitate Sea-trout Counter On Rosses Fishery
|
BMW — Game
|
|
7
|
Owenea River — Enhanced Access
|
BMW — Game
|
|
8
|
Eske Fishery — Stiles, Parking, Boats & Spawning Gravel
|
BMW — Game
|
SWRFB
|
17
|
3 Information Sea Angling Boards
|
S&E — Sea
|
|
19
|
Caherciveen — Wheelchair Hoists
|
S&E — Sea
|
EEFB
|
20
|
Corcris Lake Co. Monaghan — Stands & Catwalk
|
BMW — Coarse
|
|
22
|
Lisnashannagh Upper Lake Co. Monaghan — Stand & Catwalk
|
BMW — Coarse
|
|
24
|
Lisnashannagh Lower Lake Co. Monaghan — Stand & Catwalk
|
BMW — Coarse
|
|
25
|
Descant Lake Co. Monaghan — Stands & Catwalk
|
BMW — Coarse
|
|
26
|
R. Dee Co. Louth — Access Incl. Walkway & Wheelchair Ramp
|
BMW — Game
|
|
27
|
R. Dee Co. Louth — Footbridge
|
BMW — Game
|
|
31
|
R. Dargle Co. Wicklow — Access & Instream Development
|
S&E — Game
|
|
33
|
R. Avoca Co. Wicklow — Investigative Study To Reduce Acid Mine Drainage Impact On River
|
S&E — Game
|
|
34
|
Eastern Region Promotional Literature
|
Other — Other
|
NWRFB
|
44
|
Glenamoy River Development Co. Mayo
|
BMW — Game
|
SRFB
|
46
|
Stradbally Lake Development Co. Laois — Creation Of Trout Fishery
|
BMW — Game
|
|
48
|
Blackwater Stream Enhancement Cork & Kerry
|
S&E — Game
|
|
50
|
Rockforest Blackwater Enhancement Scheme Co. Cork
|
S&E — Game
|
SHRFB
|
58
|
Purchase Of Electrofishing Equipment For Infor. & Data Collection
|
BMW — Other
|
|
60
|
Production Of Angling Promotion Guides
|
BMW — Other
|
|
62
|
Development Of Pallas Lake
|
BMW — Game
|
|
63
|
R. Maigue — Renew Cabling On Counter
|
BMW — Game
|
|
66
|
Promotional Advertising Campaign
|
BMW — Other
|