Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of funding spent to date on the National Development Plan; the amount estimated to be spent by the end of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34264/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 313: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount spent to date under the National Development Plan programmes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34266/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount spent to date on the Border Midland Western regional programme under the National Development Plan; the total amount estimated to be spent by the end of the NDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34267/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 315: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount spent to date on the south and east regional programme under the National Development Plan; the amount estimated to be spent by the end of the NDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34268/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 311 and 313 to 315, inclusive, together.

The National Development Plan/Community Support Framework (NDP/CSF) 2000-2006 is implemented through seven Operational Programmes (OPs). The most recent expenditure data on the National Development Plan reported to my Department by the OP Monitoring Committees relate to the period January 2000 to December 2005. The data for the first six months of 2006 will be available at the end of October 2006 following the Autumn meetings of the OP Monitoring Committees. I will write to the Deputy with this data when it becomes available.

Table 1 below sets out the total estimated expenditure (Exchequer, EU and private) to end 2005 and compares it against the total original indicative forecast for the lifetime of the Plan. This represents some €44.7 billion or 78% of the total original indicative forecast for expenditure (Exchequer, EU and private) on the Plan.

Table 2 sets out the total estimated Exchequer expenditure to end 2005 and compares it against the total original indicative forecast for the lifetime of the Plan. This represents some €38.6 billion or 87% of forecast Exchequer expenditure for the Plan. The figures reported indicate that all demands for expenditure are being met.

With respect to the Operational Programmes, the Economic and Social Infrastructure OP is performing well with total expenditure to end 2005 at 91% of original target. The Employment and Human Resources Development OP is on course to meet its original targets. Good progress is evident under the BMW and S&E Regional Operational Programmes. However, difficulties still exist in the tourism and agriculture sectors where implementation has been slower and demand for grant support has been less than anticipated due mainly to the impact of the slowdown in economic activity in 2000-02 and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. This meant that businesses and the agricultural sector were not in a position to put forward sufficient investment plans to avail of funding in those early years of the Programmes. The performance of the Productive Sector Operational Programme is behind original target. Key factors accounting for the low rate of expenditure relate to the lower take up of financial opportunities by the private sector, the slowdown in economic activity in the early years of the programme, less than anticipated absorption capacity for R&D projects in the BMW Region and delays in getting State Aid clearance resulting in the late start to some funding schemes. The PEACE and Technical Assistance Operational Programmes are on track to meet their targets by the end of the programming period.

Table 3 below details the forecast expenditure under each Operational Programme for the NDP/CSF 2000-2006 based on the end 2005 position as reported by the OP Monitoring Committees.

The amount of estimated expenditure by completion of the NDP/CSF 2000-2006 is expected to be €56,794 million. This means that the overall outturn for the NDP is expected to be near to forecast but with some over-performance and underperformance of expenditure taking place within the Operational Programmes. However, a complete picture of expenditure will not be available until the full year expenditure data for 2006 are analysed and reported at the Spring 2007 meetings of the Operational Programmes Monitoring Committees and when the co-funded measures under the NDP achieve their full entitlement to Structural Funds by the end of 2008, the timetable set out in the Regulations.