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Joint Regional Assemblies Annual Conference
Maximising EU Funding Opportunities 2014-2020
Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford
Friday, 28th November, 2014
Maximising EU Funding Opportunities 2014-2020
This year marks the start of new rounds of EU funding programmes, which will run until 2020.
These programmes include Regional and Territorial Cooperation
Programmes under shared management with EU Member States and
other European funding programmes directly managed by the EU
institutions.
The European Structural and Investment Funds are the EU's principle
investment tool for delivering the Europe 2020 goals: creating
growth and jobs, tackling climate change and energy dependence,
and reducing poverty and social exclusion. Europe’s regions and
cities have a vital role to play as the motors of smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth, by promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and
Border, Midland & Western Region
the knowledge economy, employability and accessibility, whilst also
addressing the challenges of equality, social inclusion and
sustainable development. At the heart of Europe’s Cohesion Policy is
the principle of partnership with regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society
organisations.
Ireland’s Regional Assemblies are co-hosting this conference to
provide delegates with up to date information on EU funding
opportunities and the means of accessing EU funds. The Regional
Assemblies will continue to act as Managing Authorities for the ERDF
co-funded Regional Programmes 2014-2020 which will provide
investment in excess of €800m over the next 7 years, as part of
Ireland’s Partnership Agreement with the EU. These programmes will
support the building of research and innovation capacity, next
generation broadband, SME competitiveness, energy efficiency and
sustainable urban development. The Regional Assemblies also host
the National Contact Points for several transnational INTERREG
Programmes and for the Ireland-Wales Cross-border Programme.
Southern & Eastern Region
The conference will be of particular interest to regional and local bodies, development agencies,
higher education institutions and community organisations. The conference brings together key
European, National and Regional speakers who will present the details of the funding
opportunities available. The speaker panel includes those who have been involved in framing the
new programmes along with those who manage and benefit from the programmes at regional and
local levels.
Admission is free: Booking is essential
Conference Programme
9:00
Registration
First Session Chaired by Mr. Stephen Blair, Director, Southern & Eastern Regional
Assembly
9:30
Welcome Address – Cllr. Gerry Horkan, Cathaoirleach, S&E Regional Assembly
9:45
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Brendan Howlin, TD, Minister for Public Expenditure &
Reform on Ireland’s Partnership Agreement for European Structural and
Investment Funds 2014-2020
10:15
European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 Ms. Lena AnderssonPench, Director DG Regional and Urban Policy
10: 40
European Regional Funds 2007-13 - What have we achieved? Mr. Gerry Finn,
Director, Border, Midland and Western Regional Assembly
11:05
Q&A
11:15
Coffee Break
Second Session Chaired by Mr. Gerry Finn, Director, Border Midland & Western
Regional Assembly
11:45
Regional Operational Programmes 2014-2020 Mr. Stephen Blair, Director,
Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly
12:10
Inter-Regional and Cross-Border (INTERREG) Funding Opportunities 2014-2020
Atlantic Area and Northern Periphery and Arctic Programmes,
Mr. Michael O’Brien, BMW Regional Assembly
North West Europe Programme, Mr. David Kelly, S&E Regional
Assembly
Ireland-Wales Programme, Ms. Siobhán Rudden, S&E Regional
Assembly
12:50
Opportunities from Other EU Funding Programmes, Mr. Robert Collins, Irish
Regions Office, Brussels
1:15
Q&A
1:30
Closing Address Cllr. Seamus O’Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach, BMW Regional
Assembly
1:30
Lunch
Speakers
Cllr Gerry Horkan, Cathaoirleach, Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly
Cllr Horkan is a newly elected member to the Southern & Eastern Regional
Assembly. As a member of the Fianna Fáil party, Cllr Horkan represents Dun
Laoghaire-Rathdown (DLR) County Council on the Assembly. Cllr Horkan was a
member of Dublin Regional Authority since October 2003 where he served as
Cathaoirleach for the 2006 to 2007 term. Since being first elected to the DLR
County Council in October 2003 he has served as Chairperson of the Water &
Waste Strategic Policy Committee and was also a member of the Transportation
Strategic Policy Committee. He was a member of the DLR Audit Committee and
the HSE Health Forum and is currently a Board Member of the Pavilion Theatre, a
delegate to the Association of Irish Local Government and Chairperson of CBC
Monkstown Board of Management. He is also Chairperson of the Fianna Fáil
National Councillors Forum. Cllr Horkan holds a B.Comm and Masters in
Accounting from UCD and is a Chartered Accountant. Mr Brendan Howlin, TD, Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform
Brendan Howlin is an Irish Labour Party politician. The Minister’s political career
has spanned over 30 years to date and he has represented the people of
Wexford as a Teachta Dála (T.D.) since 1987. During his career he has served
respectively as Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Minister for the Environment and
Minister for Health. In 2011, he was appointed Ireland’s first Minister for Public
Expenditure and Reform, with the eponymous Department being established
formally by statute in July of the same year. The Minister is charged with
controlling public expenditure and ensuring the necessary reforms in how the
public service works.
Ms Lena Andersson-Pench, Director DG Regional and Urban Policy,
European Commission, Brussels
Lena is since August 2014 Director for Territorial Co-operation, Macro-regions
and North -West Europe in DG Regional and Urban Policy, European
Commission. She is an economist, was previously the Audit Director in the same
DG and has been working on Cohesion Policy matters since 2000.
She has a background in economic, budgetary and audit field and has held
different management positions in the European Commission services during
the last fifteen years. In 1995 she joined the cabinet of the first Swedish
Commissioner, Mrs Gradin after having served as Financial Counsellor at the
Swedish delegation in Brussels during EU membership negotiations.
Speakers
Mr Gerry Finn, Director, Border Midland & Western Regional Assembly
Gerry Finn commenced as Director with the Regional Assembly in 2000. He is
responsible for the overall management and direction of the Assembly and the
Regional Operational Programme. Gerry had responsibility for managing the
first Regional Operational Programmes under the National Development Plan
2000-2006 and the Assembly has been designated by the Government to be
the Managing Authority for the BMW Regional Operational Programme 2007 –
2013. As Director of the Assembly Gerry is also involved in the Peace III
Ireland/Northern Ireland Programme and is the contact point for the EU
Interreg Transnational Programmes, Northern Periphery and Atlantic Area.
Gerry holds a Masters in Rural Development from the National University of
Ireland, Galway
Mr Stephen Blair, Director, Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly
Appointed inaugural Director of the Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly
when it was established in 2000. Responsible for managing Structural Funds
Regional Operational Programmes for successive programming periods
2000-2006 and 2007-13. Chair of these Programme Monitoring Committees.
The Assembly is also the designated Managing & Certification Authorities for a
maritime cross-border programme with Wales. Represents Ireland on a
number of Monitoring Committees for European Territorial Co-operation
Programmes. Prior to taking up his current post, Stephen worked for many
years in the Planning Service in Local Government in Ireland, including the
1990’s as Waterford City Planning Officer. A graduate of both Trinity College
Dublin, and University College Dublin Stephen holds Masters Degrees in both
Planning and Public Management.
Mr Michael O Brien, Programme Liaison Officer, Border, Midland & Western
Regional Assembly
Michael commenced employment with the BMW Regional Assembly in June
2002 and is responsible for managing EU programmes within the region. He is
Project Manager for two EU Transnational Innovation and Marine Projects
‘TESLA’ and ‘Marnet’ worth a combined total value of €5.1m. The Assembly is
Lead Partner for both projects. He also acts as National Contact Point for two
Interreg Transnational programmes – the Atlantic Area and Northern Periphery
Programmes. In this context, he is responsible for assisting Irish project
promoters in developing EU co-operation projects as well as disseminating
information on both programmes in Ireland.
Speakers
Mr David Kelly, Assistant Director, Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly
David commenced with the Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly in 2001 as
a Programme Executive and was appointed Assistant Director in 2008. He is
responsible for managing EU Structural Funds Regional Operational
Programmes, is Managing Authority for the Ireland-Wales maritime crossborder Programme and co-chairs the Ireland Wales Programme Project
Steering Committees. He also represents Ireland on the North-West Europe
European Territorial Cooperation Programme Monitoring Committee and on
the Programme Preparation Group for the 2014-2020 period. Prior to his
employment with the Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly David worked for
a number of years with the Local Development Company in Westmeath which
was responsible for the LEADER Programme. He is an Agricultural Science
Graduate from UCD.
Ms Siobhán Rudden, Development Officer, Ireland-Wales Territorial
Programme
Siobhán Rudden has been a Development Officer for the Ireland Wales
Programme 2007-13 since June 2008. Her role involves encouraging and
assisting with the development of project applications to the Programme and
providing ongoing support to the Irish project partners after approval. She is
also involved in the preparation of the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme
2014-20. Prior to her current post, she managed various EU-funded projects
through the European Information Centre network which was coordinated by
Directorate General Enterprise and Industry. Siobhán holds a BA in History and
Politics and a Master’s Degree in European Studies, both from University
College Dublin. Mr Robert Collins, Head of Office, Irish Regions Office, Brussels
Mr Robert Collins is Head of Office at the Irish Regions Brussels Office,
Belgium. He has held this position since May 2000, when the office was
established to provide support to the Irish members of the Committee of the
Regions and to brief Irish regions on EU policy developments and funding
opportunities. He holds a BA in Geography and a Master’s Degree in Regional
and Urban Planning. Previous to his current position Robert was Policy Officer
with the Dublin Regional Authority, Project Co-ordinator with the Rural Dublin
LEADER Planning Group and Researcher with the Service Industries Research
Centre, UCD.
Speakers
Cllr Seamus O’Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach, BMW Regional
Assembly
Educated at PCC Falcarragh & University of Limerick. Full time Public
Representative. First Elected in 2009 and again in 2014 to Donegal County
Council where he topped the Poll in the Glenties Electoral Area on both
occasions. A native Irish Speaker, Chairman of CLG Chloich Cheann Fhaola and
is deeply involved in many aspects of his Community. Sat on the Planning &
Economic Development as well as the Water & Environment SPC and served as
a Director of the Donegal County Enterprise Board from 2009 to 2014. He is
particularly interested in addressing the imbalance which exists between the
East & West of Ireland in Infrastructure, employment, public services and the
standard of living.
Conference Location
Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford
GPS Position: 6°30'23"W, 52°21’17" N-6.5066500 , 52.3548000
Booking Form
BMW and S&E Regional Assemblies Joint Annual Conference 2014
(Please complete and return to Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly by email, fax or post)
Name of delegate(s): _____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Name and address of organisation: ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _______________________________________________________________________
Fax: ______________________________________________________________________________
Email: ____________________________________________________________________________
Where did you hear about the conference: _______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
No. of delegate(s) attending lunch: _____________________________________
(The conference is free of charge, lunch will be provided)
Booking is open until Friday 14th November. You can make your booking on the Regional
Assembly websites (www.seregassembly.ie or www.bmwassembly.ie) or www.eventbrite.ie or by
email to [email protected] or download this form and post it to: Southern & Eastern
Regional Assembly, Assembly House, O’Connell Street, Waterford.
For enquiries please contact: Karen Coughlan ([email protected] ) or Oonagh
Hearne ([email protected]).