asked the Minister for Education if he will state the reason for his refusal to grant direct aid to Ferns Diocesan Youth Service, Wexford, which has 43 affiliated youth groups of different types, a full-time staff of three and a wide range of training and other services, in view of the fact that a very substantial annual grant is given to a corresponding body in another part of the country outside Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Youth Organisations Grants.
27.
It is my policy to channel grants from the special fund for youth and sport through the national governing bodies of the various voluntary organisations. There have been a few exceptions in favour of youth organisations prior to 1974. At that date it was decided not to initiate any new schemes of aid to individual counties on a piecemeal basis but to wait until a national scheme could be introduced which would be just and suitable to all areas not already getting aid. A great majority of the groups involved in the Ferns Diocesan Youth Service belong to organisations which are in receipt of substantial grants from my Department.
The basis of my question was that substantial grants were paid last year to the same type of organisation as the Ferns Youth Service. Would the Minister confirm or deny this fact?
I have admitted it in my answer.
What does the Minister intend to do in the coming year?
I have told the Deputy that since 1974 the policy has been changed.
I am talking about 1976.
The people who were in before 1974 are getting annual grants. Since 1974 instead of giving money to the individual organisations in individual areas, the money has been granted to the headquarters body of the organisations and they distributed it to the sectors of their organisations in the local areas.
28.
asked the Minister for Education why the amount of £105,775, being the balance of the allocation of grants to youth organisations over the years 1974, 1975 and 1976 has not been used for the benefit of young people.
The intention of the annual provision for youth and sports organisation is to maintain a fund out of which grants may be made according to current needs. It is considered desirable to retain a balance in the fund for unexpected or unusual needs. The amount remaining unexpended on the 31st December, 1976, approximately £89,000, is available in addition to the amount of £400,000 provided in the Estimates for the current year.
Is the Minister aware that the amounts expended were: in 1974, £22,000; in 1975, £56,000 and in 1976, £27,000? Is he further aware of the urgent need to finance various youth organisations, taking into consideration the impact of inflation on their work? I would like to know why this money has not been spent.
In any one year the Department make their allocations of total fees to various organisations and on top of that have a contingency fund for special projects which can be anywhere or attached to any organisation. At the end of the year whatever is left over from the total fund is brought forward to the next year and is topped up by moneys voted in the Dáil and that is then spent either by grants directly to organisations or special projects. Whatever is left the following year is transferred forward again. Therefore, in each of the years the Deputy mentioned the money was not lost but was brought forward to the following year and became part of the fund available for that year. Similarly the £89,000 which was in credit at the end of 1976 is brought forward and added to the £400,000 voted for 1977. There is a fund of £489,000 available for 1977, but at the end of this year there will be some money left which will be brought forward to 1978.
Why should money be held back and brought forward to this year when there was such an urgent need for it last year?
If any special project had been brought to the attention of the Parliamentary Secretary—for instance the tartan track at Belfield is being financed as a special project and is not involved in any grants for other organisations—and which he had deemed worthy of support, it would have got the money.
Is the Minister aware that representations have been made to him by Macra na Tuaithe? Their allocation for last year was £17,000 and this year it is £70,000. Again, inflation is——
What years is the Deputy talking about?
Last year.
For how much?
£70,000.
For what year?
1977.
They would not know 1977's allocation yet.
They have been informed that it is £70,000.
The allocations for 1977 have not yet been made.
The Minister should check the file——
Nobody has been informed of their allocations for 1977. There has been no allocation.
Would the Minister agree that the reason that there is a sum in the region of £20,000 left over each year is not that there is a lack of worthwhile projects but that the machinery or method of distribution is too cumbersome and that it should be changed to meet the needs of the people looking for this money?
I would not agree at all. There are some very worthwhile individual projects that have been funded by the Parliamentary Secretary and I do not think the machinery is too cumbersome.
But we are talking about the ones that are left out every year.
If the Parliamentary Secretary did not consider that certain projects were worthy of support then of course there would be money left over.
Is the Minister saying that the £70,000 would not be included in the Estimate for 1977?
No. It is on top of the Estimate.
The remaining Questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.
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