On 22 May 1999, I announced the allocation of £1.2 million in grants for 59 projects involving North-South and east-west co-operation or relating to the island of Ireland. This funding came from money that became available under the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act, 1988, and part of the funds provided for commemoration initiatives. This followed an advertisement and assessment process where 175 applications were received and considered by an interdepartmental assessment committee.
The disbursement of funds to the projects began in 1999 and will continue through 2000 and 2001. A list of those projects who have drawn down funding to date and the amount drawn down to date in each case is provided as follows: