Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The answer is "No" to Deputy Ryan's question. There has been no pressure placed on us to increase spending. As I said in my earlier reply, we take a very practical view of how we can assist in terms of support and we operate within the confines of the regulations that everybody adheres to.

The matter was discussed at the plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council that took place in Dublin Castle on 4 July 2016 and at a sectoral meeting of the special EU programmes body that took place in Iveagh House on 7 July 2016. I know that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister of Finance, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, agreed to write jointly to the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu. That work is continuing and I am aware that officials of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are continuing to engage with the Minister of Finance's officials, the special EU programmes body and the European Commission to establish the basis on which programmes will be allowed to continue to be implemented. Both the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister of Finance have also been in touch.

While there are complex financial, technical and legal issues that need to be worked through, I assure Deputy McDonald that, in this regard, the Government's commitment to the successful implementation of the programmes is total. They are an essential and critical part of what we need to discuss in changing circumstances arising from the peace process and the support from Europe for these very important programmes, not just here but indeed in Scotland.

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