asked the Minister for Communications if he is aware that there are substantial sums of money available in the European Regional Fund for development; if his Department have made application to this regional development fund in respect of the development of Rosslare harbour; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I am aware that money is available in the European Regional Development Fund for portal development. It is a precondition for assistance from the fund that the State must have participated in the financing of the project. Assistance is limited to 50 per cent, or in exceptional cases to 55 per cent, of eligible expenditure, for example, State investment. As State assistance is being provided for the development works at Rosslare harbour, a submission seeking assistance from the fund is being made. I should mention that receipts of fund aid in respect of assisted projects are not paid directly to the individual authorities concerned but are applied generally to the financing of capital investment in the Public Capital Programme.

Will the Minister state when assistance for Rosslare harbour was sought from the European Regional Development Fund? Also, will he state if he has had any reply to such representations?

I am not sure I have that information, but I will be in touch with the Deputy later and give it to him.

Does the Minister remember receiving a letter from Paddy Lalor MEP on 19 October which referred to an amended proposal for Council regulations on financial support for infrastructural programmes under which the Belgian Government applied for and succeeded in getting assistance for the harbour at Ostend? Will he state if he has followed up that line?

The position is that it was only recently during our Presidency of the EC that the Council of Ministers agreed in December to set up the new transport infrastructural fund as distinct from the European Regional Development Fund. That was a major achievement of our Presidency. The Italian Minister who is now President has put forward some suggestions regarding the matters that would qualify for transport infrastructural aid. Among those listed are port developments, especially port developments that have a clear EC dimension. In that context, if it is accepted I think Rosslare harbour would have a considerable edge.