Use of ERDF funds beyond Border counties
McCartin asks whether self-catering grants reached beyond the Border counties and whether fund money was used for a small Sligo airport. Dukes says the regulations specify eligible areas and projects, and offers to investigate if McCartin provides information suggesting funds were misused.
There are two parts to this question: first, I got the distinct impression that moneys from this fund, which were allocated for the self-catering——
Comment on this
Would the Minister confirm that I am right in thinking that moneys from this fund, which were allocated for the self-catering sector, were expended over a much wider area than the Border counties? I got the impression that similar grants were available in non-Border counties? Is that so? Would the Minister comment on an allegation made at a meeting of the Mourne District Council that some of the money from this cross-Border fund was spent on the development of a small airport in Sligo?
Comment on this
The regulations governing the expenditure of these funds, adopted in 1979, specified the areas and the types of projects which may be grant-aided and to the best of my knowledge those regulations have been adhered to in the expenditure of these funds. If the Deputy has information or suggestions that funds earmarked for this purpose were used somewhere else, I would be glad if he would let me know and we can investigate it.