Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

Very significant progress has been made in our Department on that issue. For the questions that were transferred to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, I will arrange to have comprehensive replies submitted. The cohesion process in our area has been significantly advanced. There are a small number of outstanding matters that need to be resolved, but issues surrounding structures, governance, boundaries and so on have largely been clarified. There are probably just two outstanding issues. It may well be that those two issues prove to be more of a hurdle than we had anticipated, but we are confident that soon there will be clarity about where we go next.

The companies in the process of cohesion can continue the closing down process and carry out accounting exercises, such as the pay-out of grants, from the previous programme. They will then be able to start the new development programme as soon as matters have been clarified. I have been informed by the Minister and in my meetings that significant progress can be made shortly.

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