Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 225: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of EU funding received by his Department directly or for institutions, groups, organisations or bodies under his aegis in the past 20 years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47245/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Since Ireland joined the EU in 1973, approximately €20bn has been allocated in EU Structural and Cohesion Funds. The Structural Funds comprise the: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); European Social Fund (ESF); Fishery Funds — Financial Instruments for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) and European Fisheries Fund (EFF); and Agriculture Funds — European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), guidance element and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

My Department is responsible for, amongst other things, overall policy in relation to Ireland's EU Structural and Cohesion Funds. It is responsible for drawing down the European Regional Development and Cohesion Funds which are paid into the Central Fund as a capital receipt. It also plays a central role in the development and monitoring of the programmes/projects through which the Funds are drawn down.

Ireland has qualified for Structural Funds since we joined the EU in 1973 and for the Cohesion Fund from 1993 when it was established. However, due to the economic progress the country has made, Ireland no longer qualifies for Cohesion Funding since 2004.

Details of receipts Ireland has received from the EU Budget under the various funds since we joined the EU in 1973 can be obtained from Table 11 of the document "Budgetary and Economic Statistics" published by my Department in September. The document is available on my Department's website at the following address:

http://www.finance.gov.ie/documents/publications/other/BES2008.pdf