Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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301. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when her Department will begin to administer the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived; the forms of assistance that will be available; and if she will advise on the sectors or groups that may seek to avail of this funding. [18688/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The regulation to create and underpin the operations of the new EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived was adopted by the Council in early March and came into effect shortly thereafter. Under this regulation, Member States will be required to devise operational plans to procure supplies and support the distribution of food and consumer good using partner organisations (NGOs) and other public bodies to support these efforts.

This Department has been tasked with the development of the operational programme and has been in discussion with the European Commission and other agencies in setting out the implementation arrangements. A key priority is to ensure the administrative and associated cost burdens associated with the Fund are minimised to ensure that the indicative EU and Exchequer allocation of up to €3.5m per annum is prioritised for the purchase and distribution of food stuffs and goods. The regulation requires certain tasks to be undertaken in the preparation of the operational programme, including undertaking an ex-ante evaluation by a competent independent body and consultation with interested parties and stakeholders.

The European Commission is continuing to finalise its guidance for Members States to underpin the development of the operational programme and the delivery of the programme.

Given that this Fund represent a new and innovative approach to the delivery of such support, a number of matters remain to be clarified before commitments to a particular delivery approach can be made. The regulation requires that the assistance will be procured on the basis of needs identified nationally through the ex-ante evaluation and consultation process and agreed with the European Commission in the context of an operational programme.