Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

190. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the outcome of discussions to date with the European Commission on cohesion funding post 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3936/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Proposals for the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) will be published by the European Commission in May 2018. Decisions around the allocation of funding available for Cohesion Policy post 2020 will form part of the negotiation of the MFF.  The sectorial legislation, including Cohesion Policy regulations, will follow shortly thereafter. As formal negotiation of the legislation has not commenced yet, it would not be prudent to comment on the potential outcomes of those discussions at this point.

Without prejudice to negotiations on the MFF, Ireland has been actively contributing to policy deliberations on the next round of Cohesion Policy post 2020. In October 2017 we produced a high level position paper on Cohesion Policy Post 2020. The paper has been circulated to the European Commission and to other Member States and has been well received. On an ongoing basis Ireland also participates actively at all Commission and Council meetings at which Cohesion Policy post 2020 is discussed.