The Western Investment Fund was established under the Western Development Commission Act, 1998.
Under that Act the terms and conditions under which aid is provided to enterprises or projects must be determined by the Western Development Commission with the consent of the Minister for Agriculture and Food and with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance.
My Department is in consultation with the commission on this issue which, I expect, will be settled shortly. The transfer of money to the fund can than commence. A sum of £5 million has been provided in the 1999 Vote for my Department for this purpose.