Written answers

Tuesday, 5 February 2008

9:00 pm

Photo of John O'MahonyJohn O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Transport the names of the programmes and schemes operated by his Department which were or continue to be funded in full or in part by the European Union; the amount of funding in each case since Ireland joined the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3769/08]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Following the re-allocation of Ministerial functions in 2002, my Department assumed responsibility for the overall management of the Transport Operational Programme (OPTRANS) 1994-1999 and the Economic and Social Infrastructure Operational Programme (ESIOP) 2000-2006.

My Department also took possession of papers relating to two earlier programmes, i.e. the Operational Programme on Peripherality (OPP) 1989-1993 and the National Programme of Community Interest (NPCI) 1986-1989. The source of all of the EU assistance involved for the four Programmes is the European Regional Development Fund.

With the exception of the ESIOP, all of these Programmes have been completed and the drawdown of the associated EU assistance has also been completed. The amount of EU aid received in Ireland in respect of the three completed Programmes mentioned above is as follows:

Programme€million*
NPCI (1986-1989):158*
OPP (1989-1993):713
OPTRANS (1994-1999):973
Total:1,844
*Based on data available

In the case of the ESIOP, the total EU aid provision is €1,040 million. Expenditure under the Programme continues to be eligible for EU aid up to the end of 2008. The total sum of EU aid receipts for the Programme up to 31st December, 2007 was €976 million.

As regards information on individual schemes or projects, I have arranged for my Department to provide you with material showing the amount of EU assisted expenditure in the case of each project under the OPTRANS and the ESIOP. Comprehensive information at project level under the two earlier Programmes (the NPCI and the OPP) is no longer readily available.

EU funding for transport projects was also received under various other Programmes including a number of Interreg Programmes and the Peace Programme. EU funding for local and regional roads has also been received under the Regional Operational Programmes for the Border, Midlands and Western Region (BMW) and the Southern and Eastern Region (S&E). My Department does not have lead responsibility for any of these Programmes.

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