Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Healy-Rae is correct; we can access funding in the same way. Many of the infrastructural projects that are under way are funded by European Investment Bank funding. He will know from the national development plan that we have €116 billion worth of a plan over a period. Some of the funding will come from the Exchequer, some of it will be borrowed, some of it will come from the European Investment Bank, some of it will come from the Council of Europe development bank and some of it will come from elsewhere. We are already seeing large infrastructural projects that are being funded in that mechanism. I can think of one off the top of my head, namely, the redevelopment of the city centre in Limerick, which is being led by the city and county council and is being funded by both of those agencies.

Deputy Healy-Rae made a very valid point about rural sewerage schemes. That is something I feel very strongly about. The Deputy might have heard me speak about it in this House before. There is provision in the programme for Government so that the very towns and villages the Deputy talks about will be looked at differently under the new programme because under the rural development fund there will be specific targeted funding for those towns and villages that currently have no scheme with a view to trying to get them.

I will make three points for the purposes of clarification on how we ensure that the needs of Ireland are not submerged by the demands of bigger countries. The three member states that have received the most financing should not exceed 50%, which is fair. The 15 member states who have received the least financing should exceed 10% of the fund. That ensures that areas with a small population will not be forgotten and it underlines the financial structures that are by their nature multi-country, covering two or more member states, that are not included in the above. It is designed to be as fair as possible and to respond to as many as possible.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae is correct about the issues he has raised and that is why the provisions that have been made in the national development plan and the programme for Government are clear as to what he has asked about there.

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