Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform
Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
1:55 pm
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I want to say a couple of words about EU Structural Funds. I have had discussions yesterday with Commissioner Hahn regarding the new multi-annual financial framework being discussed in a co-decision model with the European Parliament. We are anxious to get the Structural Funds agreed so we can implement national policies from 1 January 2014. We operate through two regional bodies, a south and east structure and a Border, midlands and west structure. In view of the time slot within which the new round of moneys was predicated, there was a reduction in the amount of money available to the Border-midlands-west and I and the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach were very anxious that this would be addressed. An additional sum of €100 million was provided in the MFF for the Border-midlands-west. This means that overall, despite a reduction in the amount of money for Structural Funds across the Union, Ireland will have a slight increase. The moneys that were voted here are to maintain the existing structure. We will have to look to next year when the new round comes in. We will debate what new structures should be in place to monitor the next round of Structural Funds after the budget in October.