COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT ON THE DELEGATION TO IRELAND 26-28 MARCH 2014 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary........................................................................................................................4 Programme.....................................................................................................................5 Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - Dublin and Waterford..................................................10 Thursday, 27 March 2014 – Waterford and Kilkenny.................................................17 Friday, 28 March 2014 – Waterford ............................................................................23 Concluding remarks .....................................................................................................25 Media Coverage...........................................................................................................26 ANNEXES...................................................................................................................27 3 Summary Subject Delegation visit to Ireland ( Dublin, Waterford and Kilkenny) Main objective: - Get on ground knowledge on projects and programmes implemented with the support by the European Structural and Investment Funds; - Meet local and regional authorities responsible for the implementation of the Funds, discuss the Irish experience with the ESIF and in particular the phasing out of the current period and the preparedness of the country for the future programming period 2014- 2020; - Witness the positive effects of on-going and completed projects aimed at growth & jobs and projects and programmes aiming at cross- Objectives border territorial cooperation; - Get a first-hand knowledge on the preparations for the programming for 2014-2020 and in particular to evaluate how the partnership agreement translates to the national and regional levels the priorities of the new Cohesion Policy. - The delegation would also look on the opportunities offered by the EU co-funded programmes to fight economic recession, create jobs and emerge from recession; 26-28 Mars 2014 Places Ireland - Dublin; Waterford and Kilkenny The delegation consists of 5 Members and substitute Members of the Participants Committee on Regional Development (Delegations Members and Accompanying Members) (see annexe). The list of participants is attached in the annexe. 4 Programme EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Delegation to Ireland 26 - 28 March 2014 PROGRAMME1 Wednesday 26 March 2014 – Dublin Individual arrival of the Members and the Staff to Dublin 11.30-12.00 Bus transfer from Dublin Airport to Government buildings 12.15-13.15 Meeting with Mr Brendan Howlin TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with participation of Mr Brian Hayes, Minister of State for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works Venue : Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Government Buildings South Block, Merrion Street Dublin 2 13.15-14.15 Working lunch with Mr Ciarán Lynch TD, the Chairman of Committee on Finance Public Expenditure and Reform and other Members of the Parliamentary Committee Venue : Leinster House Kildare Street Dublin 14.15-17.00 Bus transfer to Waterford City and check in at hotel The Hotel chosen for the delegation: Tower Hotel The Mall, Waterford, Ireland T: +353 (0)51 862300 | E: [email protected] 5 http://www.towerhotelwaterford.com/ 18.00-19.30 Mayoral Reception at Waterford City Hall with Cllr John Cummins - Mayor of Waterford Venue : City Hall, The Mall, Waterford Tel : 051-309900 Fax : 051-870813 [email protected] 20.00-22.00 Dinner hosted by Mr Ciarán Cullen, Waterford County Enterprise Board, joined by Student Enterprise Europe. 44 enterprise programme students from Norway & Sweden Venue: Waterford City Viking Triangle The Mall Waterford City Waterford 22.00-22.30 Bus transfer to hotel Thursday 27 March 2014 – Waterford 09.00 The delegation meets in the hotel lobby 9.00-9.15 Bus transfer from the hotel to Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Venue: ArcLabs Research & Innovation Building WIT, West Campus Carriganore Co. Waterford t: +353 51 30 2000 e: [email protected] 9.15-11.30 Meeting with Dr Ruaidhrí Neavyn, the President of Waterford Institute of Technology, Dr Willie Donnelly, the Head of Research & Innovation and other colleagues Topics: Tour of the facility and meeting with staff/partners implementing EU funded projects 11.30-12.30 Meeting with Mr Pat Colgan, Executive Director of Special European Union Programme Body (SEUPB) managing authority for PEACE III and Interreg IVA Programmes Topics: 1) Overview of cross border programmes (PEACE & Interreg) 6 2) "B.R.I.C" (Peace) and "Tellus Border"(Interreg) BRIC Kerry McIvor, Project Co-ordinator Jonathan Walmsley RDC Communications (non-speaking role) Mary Montague TIDES Director Laura Couser TIDES Operations Tellus Border Ray Scanlon from GSI Venue: Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Main Campus Cork Road, Waterford City Co. Waterford, Ireland t: +353 51 30 2000 e: [email protected] 12.30-13.30 Working lunch with Dr Ruaidhrí Neavyn, President Waterford Institute of Technology and Dr Willie Donnelly, the Head of Research & Innovation with participation of Mr Pat Colgan Venue: Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Main Campus Cork Road, Waterford City Co. Waterford, Ireland t: +353 51 30 2000 e: [email protected] 13.30-14.30 Bus Transfer to House of Waterford Crystal and Tour of Facilities Venue: House of Waterford Crystal 28 The Mall, Waterford, Ireland 14.30-16:30 Meeting with Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly (Mr Stephen Blair, Director) and Border Midland and Western Regional Assembly (Mr Kieran Moylan, Assistant Director) Topics: Discussion on operational programmes, EU co-financing and future perspectives Venue: Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly Assembly House O'Connell Street Waterford, Ireland T. + 353 (0) 51 860700 16.30-17.15 Bus transfer to Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Limited (GIIL) – Ireland’s largest dairy processor. An example of locally led global company. Venue: Ballyconra, Ballyragget 7 Co. Kilkenny, Ireland T.:+353 56 883 3600 17.15-18.30 Meeting with Senior Management of GIIL and Chairman of GIIL Board Mr Liam Herlihy Topics: - Overview of GIIL; EU funding and interactions; Locally led multinational company. Venue: Ballyconra, Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny, Ireland T.:+353 56 883 3600 18.30-19.00 Visit Cheese Plant Viewing Area Venue: Ballyconra, Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny, Ireland T.:+353 56 883 3600 19.00-19.30 Meeting with Mr Joe Crockett, County Manager and CEO Kilkenny County Council Venue: Ballyconra, Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny, Ireland T.:+353 56 883 3600 20.15-21.30 Informal dinner hosted by Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Limited Venue: Lady Helen Restaurant, Mount Juliet Hotel Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny 21.30-22.15 Bus transfer to the hotel Friday 28 March 2013 09.00 The delegation meets at the entrance of the hotel (check out) 09.15-11.00 Breakfast meeting hosted by Waterford Chamber of Commerce Joined by: 8 Flahavans (An ERDF beneficiary) Barron's Bakery (Waterford Blaa´s) South Eastern Regional Assembly. (SERA) ERDF managing authority IDA South East - With presentation/ Q&A with Ms Michelle McHugh, EEN Manager Venue: The Tower Hotel The Mall, Waterford, Ireland 11.30-12.15 Press conference Venue: The Tower Hotel The Mall, Waterford, Ireland 12.30-15.00 Bus transfer to Dublin Airport End of the official program of the Delegation 1 Please note that the Committee delegations shall consist solely of full or substitute Members of the Committee, appointed by the Committee, assisted only by political group secretariats, a secretariat from Parliament's services and an interpretation service. Only Members who are officially part of the delegation shall have the right to speak at official meetings. In principle, they shall put forward Parliament's official position on the matter under discussion. If Members outline a personal standpoint or a standpoint of their group, they shall indicate it clearly. On the Chair's authority, the Secretariat can take the floor (when necessary) in procedural issues or pertinent clarifications. 9 Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - Dublin and Waterford 12.15-13.15 Meeting with Mr Brendan Howlin TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with participation of Mr Brian Hayes, Minister of State for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works Minister Howlin's ministry is in charge of the general coordination of the ESIF and also deals with the PEACE programme and the European Territorial Cooperation programmes in Ireland. Minister Hayes's ministry also deals with EU funds but in a more indirect way. His portfolio is more centred on public works and administrative reform. Both Ministers shared with the committee their experience from the work with Funds. A shared opinion was that Ireland has greatly benefited from the use of the funds especially for key sectors to the economy such as education, infrastructure and public services. Ireland has had a long history of fund absorption and used to be one of the the biggest beneficiaries back in the 70s and early 80s. The Ministers gave a general account of the work with the Fund from a historic perspective, but also a hint on what is under negotiations with the Commission for the next programming period. Overview of 2007-2013 ERDF implementation in Ireland Since accession to the EU in 1973, Ireland has been net beneficiary from the Union budget to the tune of €42 billion. Structural and Cohesion Funds made a substantial and acknowledged contribution