Written answers

Thursday, 3 November 2005

Department of Finance

EU Regional Policy

5:00 pm

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Finance, further to his reply to a previous parliamentary question in March 2005, the discussions he has had with the European Commission on the declaration of intent by the Dublin and Merseyside regions with a view to assisting the two regions to further develop their partnership potential under EU regional policy post 2006; if the national strategic reference framework his Department is preparing provides for the possibility of the two city regions being able to co-operate under the various strands of the territorial cooperation measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32216/05]

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I stated in my reply to the Deputy on 23 March 2005 that my Department would continue to monitor the developments as they unfolded in the area of future EU structural policy, and that until such time as the proposals for the 2007-13 period had been agreed, and the areas of eligibility defined, it would not be possible to make specific proposals in regard to any future Structural Funds. With regard to the Dublin-Merseyside declaration of intent, I stated that the concerns of the Dublin region would be taken into consideration in the framing of any future programming proposals. This remains the position.

At that time in March 2005, it was hoped that agreement on the financial perspectives for the 2007-13 period and the Structural Funds regulations might be achieved by June 2005, as stated in my reply to the question. However, it was not possible to reach such agreement and discussions are ongoing. Therefore, as indicated, no specific proposals can be made until such time as agreement on the financial perspectives for the period 2007-13 has been achieved.

It should also be noted that the national strategic reference framework cannot be finalised until the financial perspectives for the period 2007-13 have been achieved. My Department is undertaking preliminary work as part of the preparation of the framework. It is not intended to contain specific commitments to projects of the type mentioned by the Deputy.

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