Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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884. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline when his Department became aware of the need to install a national computerised accounting and information system for EU funds to meet the 2014-2020 functionality requirements, eCohesion; the reason it was not installed before 31 December 2015 as was instructed by the European Commission; the reason the system still has not been installed; the repercussions if it is not installed by the end of 2018; and the amount of funding that would be lost or compromised if it is not installed by that date. [24603/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Common Provisions 1303/2013 for ESIF funding for 2014-2020, which provided for e Cohesion, entered into force on 20/12/2013. While the Regulation provides for the implementation of the system by 31 December 2015, the deadline for a first claim under the European Regional Development Fund, for which my Department has responsibility, is 31 December 2017. I am confident that the e Cohesion system will be in place by this deadline.

A public tender for the system was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on the 4^thMarch 2016. Following an evaluation of tenders, none of the tenders received were deemed suitable by the Evaluation Team and the tender competition was discontinued. Following market research and consultation with other Member States a revised Tender was issued on the 9^thof September 2016. The conclusion date for the e Cohesion project will depend on proposals received from bidders, but is expected to be rolled out in phases from early to mid-2017.

My Officials are in regular communication with EU Commission Officials, and have updated them on the tendering process. The European Commission has indicated to Member States that where it was not possible to put a full e-Cohesion system in place by the end of 2015 contingency arrangements could be adopted. Notwithstanding the work underway on the e-Cohesion system, my officials are also examining this approach, in conjunction with the Commission.

I would like to assure the Deputy that National Programmes co-financed by the ERDF are continuing to be implemented in order to maximise Ireland's drawdown of EU funding available for the 2014-2020 programme period.