Ms Gina McIntyre:

Theme 1.1. is specifically for Border counties and Northern Ireland councils. If groups are in those areas, they can engage directly. All of the other areas are completely open to applicants from anywhere. It can be any organisation in that particular sector that has the capacity to manage a programme. There are enterprise, environmental and health themes and all of the different agencies and organisations that are normally in those areas are getting involved. They can be a lead partner.

The European Union has an instrument in its programmes called functional areas. That means it does not require an application to include everybody from Northern Ireland and the Border counties, which is the programme area if there is a natural link. "Functional area" is a bit of a strange name. It basically means that if there is a sectoral interest and a group, like a women's group from Mayo or Cork, naturally deals with somebody in Northern Ireland on visits or it wants to do an exchange visit or something like that, it can get involved with that group. Between them, they can make an application. The proviso is that the majority of the benefit from the programme has to be for the citizens of Northern Ireland and the Border counties.

We have applicants in the INTERREG programme in the area of the environment and the marine from Cork and America. They are contributing and are part of the project because it is a natural link. It is a wonderful opportunity, especially with the North-South and east-west links. It means people do not have to force a partnership. If there is a natural partnership, for example, between a youth group in Dublin and Belfast and they want to do some work together, they can make an application and do it, especially through the small grants. Small grants would be the vehicle for the likes of women's groups or the smaller groups about which the Deputy spoke because it is much more simple administratively and straightforward and they will get a lot more support. They will roll out for years to come. There will be opportunities for them to test it, build on it and build again. If a council, for example, Galway, which has a strong field in the SME support sector, wanted to make an application - it may want to get involved with Invest Northern Ireland - that is perfectly fine as long as the majority of the benefit goes to the citizens in Northern Ireland programme area.