asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the inadequacy of the information supplied by the Irish Government to the EEC Commission in relation to projects qualifying for aid from the European regional development fund as contained in Document PE 44.878.

European Parliament Document PE 44.878 is concerned with establishing a uniform procedure for the exchange of information on the quality of surface fresh water in the Community and it would not appear that the Deputy's question has any relevance to it.

I utterly reject the innuendo in the Deputy's question that information supplied to the EEC Commission by the Government in relation to the regional development fund has been inadequate. I would like to assure the Deputy that the Government have always supplied the EEC Commission with all the information required under the Fund Regulation in connection with our applications for assistance from the European regional development fund. I am glad of the opportunity to put on the record of the Dáil the reply which the Deputy received recently from the Commission to a written question tabled by him in the European Parliament which confirms the correctness of the procedures adopted by the Government and by the Commission. This reply states, inter alia, that:—

Article 7 (2) of this [the Regional Fund] Regulation provides that investments costing less than 10 million units of account are submitted to the Commission in grouped applications, showing only the total amount of investment and the total of national aids granted. Moreover, in the case of such grouped applications, Article 7 (4) of the Fund Regulation stipulates that aid from the Fund is determined by the Commission `in the aggregate'. Accordingly, the Commission's decisions on grouped applications show neither the amount of Fund aid attributable to each individual project nor the individual amounts of investment involved.

As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is unique in that it is the only member state whose entire national territory is treated as a single qualifying region for the purposes of fund assistance. Hence Commission assistance for grouped applications is approved as a single figure for the country as a unit.

There was a printing error here and the question should have read document PE 44.898. I hope the Minister accepts this was not my mistake. That document relates to information given to the European Parliament of projects submitted by the nine member states for aid from the regional development fund. In relation to this information, is the Minister aware that the only information given by the Irish Government to the European Commission relates to the number of projects that have qualified? There is no reference to the amount of money allocated to each project from the European regional development fund. Is the Minister further aware that all the other member states without exception have given this very basic and vital information?

I have studied the document to which the Deputy now refers and I would point out that the information in respect of Ireland is similar to that given by all other countries except in regard to the specification of individual sums per region and that is for the reason which the Commission itself explained to the Deputy in response to his own question in the European Parliament. In relation to investments costing less than 10 million units of account the application must be made by grouping together the individual items, and sanction is given by the Commission in the aggregate. In those circumstances it is not open to either the Commission or the Irish Government to break up the items in the way which the Deputy requests. Ireland's position is unique as being the only country in the community where the complete national territory is treated as one unit.

In other countries there are some areas of the national territory which are excluded from regional fund assistance and it is therefore necessary to identify for the purpose of the EEC regulations the particular areas in respect of which applications are made and sanctions are given. This is not so in relation to Ireland. There is no reluctance on our part to give information. We have given all the information required by the European Commission, and as I pointed out on more than one occasion, it is clear proof that we have met all requirements, that we were the first to receive any money from the regional fund.

Despite the appearance of collusion between the Minister and certain officials of the European Commission, is the Minister aware that great dissatisfaction has been expressed by members of the European Parliament at the inadequacy of this information? Is the Minister further aware that his own TD, Deputy McDonald, was amongst those people expressing their dissatisfaction?

I am aware that some people have been unable to or are unwilling to understand the provisions of the regulations which govern the operation of the European regional fund. The Article from which I quoted which was explained to Deputy Herbert at the European Parliament, speaks for itself. This is not a question of interpretation by officials either in Ireland or in Brussels, or a question of collusion between Ireland and the Commission, as far as the officials are concerned. The regulations have been drafted and have to be applied in their present form. I am not saying that the regulations as drafted met every requirement of the Irish Government. They did not. We would hope when a revision of regulations comes about that some of our representations will be met. In the meantime we have to operate the existing system, and as far as Ireland is concerned it is very important that we ensure that nothing is done which could exclude any part of our national territory from assistance under the regional fund because it is in our interests to ensure that all the national territory will be included. If we exclude any part of it Ireland will get less under the regional fund, and that would not be helpful.

Order, order, I must ask for brevity.

Deputy Herbert, order. Does the Deputy not hear the Chair?

No, I cannot.

I am asking for brevity from both sides of the House. We are making very little progress at Question Time today. I will allow the Deputy a final brief question.

Is the Minister trying to conceal the fact that like last year's allocation the regional fund or allocation this year has been subsumed into the Exchequer and that in actual fact no extra money has been given by the Minister for regional development in this country?

Deputy Herbert knows that that is a falsehood. He knows that the figures have already been published in Ireland and were published as far back as last January.

I know it is not correct.

They were published as far as back as last January showing that an additional £12 million is being expended this year in Ireland by virtue of the regional fund. If Deputy Herbert does not accept that, the rest of Europe does. It is about time that Deputy Herbert realised that he and his ilk in Fianna Fáil are the only people who are not keeping in step with Europe.

Question No. 8. Deputy Herbert will have to obey the Chair.

The Deputy should look at the documents that were laid before the House in January, 1976. It is time the Rip Van Winkles woke up and did their home work instead of asking the European Parliament and this Parliament to waste time answering their questions.

Would the Minister give this House vital figures——

Order. Deputy Herbert, I am passing on to the next question. The Deputy will obey the Chair.

8.