ERDF Programme Updates at the Assembly Meeting

At the Northern and Western Regional Assembly meeting in Roscommon, Assistant Director, Paddy Austin updated the Members on the significant progress of designing and rolling out the ERDF co-financed Regional Programme.

Mr Austin informed the members that progress under the schemes focusing on developing a smarter more competitive region was particularly good, noting the official launch of the Ian Quinn Centre at the Bio innovate Campus and the agreement with SFI to launch a dedicated second call for an ARC Hub for the Northern & Western Region valued at €24m.

Paddy further noted positive progress under our investments supporting the sustainable regeneration of towns and urban centres with the approval by the Independent Evaluation Committee of ten Strand One grants valued at close to €2m.

Finally Paddy noted that in response to the Assembly’s request for a meeting between the Assembly and SEAI, to understand progress under this PO2 programme, discussions were on going with SEAI.

It was agreed that time was required for data analysis to understand better why there was a comparatively low uptake of the deep energy retrofits in the region as compared to the other regions in Ireland and based on this analysis, SEAI would then be invited to meet with the new Assembly.

The ERDF co-financed Regional Programme is one of two ERDF Programmes which set out Ireland’s investment strategy for €853 million, of which €396 million is financed by the EU.

The ERDF supports Irish regions in promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion in line with key EU priorities:

The programme focuses on three strategic outcomes:

• developing a smarter more competitive region through measures like building Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) capacity in public research institutions and by strengthening regional innovation systems in line with Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy and the Regional Enterprise Plans.
• supporting actions to scale up energy efficiency measures for those in energy poverty; and
• supporting the sustainable regeneration of towns and urban centres