Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Finance the steps he will take to ensure a full uptake of the national development plan in the Border Midland Western regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9549/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Chapter 3 of the recently launched National Development Plan 2007-2013 sets out a strong framework for the promotion of regional development with a particular focus on investment in the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) Gateway centres. Five of the nine Gateways — Dundalk, Letterkenny/Derry, Midlands, Galway and Sligo — are in the Border, Midland and Western Region.

The Plan also points out that, in addition to the specific Gateway projects mentioned, "there will be many additional programmes and projects funded under the Plan which will play an important role in the economic and social development of the Gateway Regions, including the Hubs, county towns and rural areas of the Regions". The projects listed are undoubtedly key ones not only for the Gateway centres but also to improve linkages within the regions and between the regions. There is also a Chapter of the Plan dedicated to the Rural Economy and much of the investment aimed at promoting the development of rural areas will help the BMW Region. Finally, it can be expected that the BMW Region will benefit directly from the consolidated and enhanced framework for all-island cooperation set out in the Plan.

The Plan also provides for the establishment of a Gateways Innovation Fund of some €300 million of Exchequer funding for the period 2008-2010. The purpose of this fund is to leverage matching private and other public funding for projects that give added value to Gateway development.

The implementation of NDP programmes and projects is the responsibility of the relevant Government Departments and Agencies. Departments and Agencies will roll out public investment in line with the investment framework set out in the NDP. I am confident that the regional development strategy, in tandem with the supports for the development of the rural economy and the prospect of enhanced all-island cooperation, will help promote the economic development of the BMW Region as well as promoting a better quality of life in the Region.

A key feature of the monitoring template for the Plan will be to measure the impact of investment on regional development. Accordingly the Annual Report on NDP implementation will detail the following, in particular:

Projects and programmes, planned and being implemented, above a specified threshold in each of the 8 Regional Authority areas;

Projected impact of projects and programmes — planned and under way; and

High level socio-economic indicators for each Regional Authority area.

In relation to the NDP/CSF 2000-2006, the figures reported at the NDP/CSF Monitoring Committee meeting in December 2006 indicate that some €11.8 billion of Exchequer and EU expenditure has been incurred by the end of June 2006. The original Exchequer and EU forecast for the BMW Region for the lifetime of the Plan is €14.6 billion. Accordingly, this is a healthy implementation rate in view of the slow start up in some areas at the very beginning, the relatively disappointing response in certain demand-led schemes and the fact that Exchequer spending in relation to Structural Fund Measures for the 2000-2006 period will in fact continue up to 2008 in accordance with EU Regulations. Based on the most recent information available to me from Monitoring Committee reports, including their assessments of continuing expenditure, I expect that by the end of the programme period, aggregate Exchequer and EU NDP spending in the BMW region will be in the region of €14 billion.