asked the Minister for Finance the money which has been spent in County Louth from the EC Regional Border Fund in each of the last five years; the projects which have received funding; and the other counties in which moneys from this fund have been used to finance projects.

Two phases of the Special Border Areas Programme (SBAP) aimed at improving the economic and social situation of the Border counties have been approved by the European Commission. The first phase, approved in June 1981, was completed in 1986. No expenditure has as yet been incurred under the second phase which was approved in December 1987.

The information requested by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. The tables, which list all projects in County Louth assisted under the SBAP, relate to the first phase of the programme and cover the period 1981 to 1986.

Projects in Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan were also eligible for assistance under the first phase of the programme.

Following is the statement:

County Louth

A. Tourist Amenity Projects

B. Minor Tourist Road Improvements.

In addition an amount of £1,250,418 which cannot be broken down on a county basis was expended under the Programme as follows:

Phase I of the Special Border Areas Programme also covered counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan.

How does the money spent in County Louth compare per capita with adjoining counties? Have the Department any plans to include harbour development in Dundalk and Drogheda under the regional schemes?

The second part of the Deputy's question is a separate matter and I do not have the details here. The tabular statement runs to three pages but the total for Louth is almost £2 million; for Monaghan, £2.5 million; for Leitrim, £2.1 million; for Cavan, £3.7 million; and for Donegal, £10.3 million. It is in the tabular statement.

Did Sligo Airport benefit from a payment from this fund some years ago? What was the justification for this payment? Did this arise from a lack of applications from Border local authorities? Finally, when did Sligo become a Border county?

The question relates to County Louth.

The question relates to County Louth and the Deputy is misinformed because Sligo was not included in the first phase, 1981 to 1986, but is included for the second phase.

To what tune?

No amounts are involved at all, and in so far as the airport or airstrip is concerned——

Is the Minister giving Leitrim back to the English or something?

——it was not assisted under this because this county was not included under the scheme but, for the information of the Deputy and since I know a little bit about what happens in Sligo, I will tell the Deputy that what did assist the airstrip in Sligo and other places was the western development fund which is totally different.

(Limerick East): Was it a Border constituency?

It was Deputy Noonan that added on Sligo so he should know. I am very grateful to him for doing so too.