asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position regarding the application for grant aid under the capital grants scheme by a GAA club (details supplied) in County Wexford.
17.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Wexford Grant Applications.
16.
asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position regarding grant aid to a community centre (details supplied) in County Wexford.
18.
asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position regarding a capital grant application by a GAA club (details supplied) in County Wexford.
19.
asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position regarding grant aid to a GAA club (details supplied) in County Wexford.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 19, inclusive, together.
My Department received in the order of 700 applications for capital grant assistance under the community, youth, recreational and employment programme, included among which are applications from Rathnure GAA Club, Taghmon Community Centre Committee, Ballyhogue GAA Club, Bree, and Bannow-Ballymitty GAA Club, in County Wexford. These four applicant groups were not nominated for assistance and as all funds placed at my Department's disposal for the purpose of the scheme were fully committed by the previous Government the question of making grants available to these groups cannot be considered at this stage.
Both Rathnure GAA Club and Ballyhogue GAA Club have submitted applications for assistance under my Department's temporary grant scheme for youth employment. These applications are receiving consideration in my Department with regard to the terms and conditions of that scheme and it is hoped to have a decision in this matter shortly. An application form issued in the case of Bannow-Ballymitty GAA Club has not, as yet, been returned.
Is the Minister of State aware that her predecessor issued a letter to me on 11 February stating that three of those particular clubs, Bannow-Ballymitty, Rathnure GAA Club and Ballyhogue GAA Club were approved for grant aid under the temporary youth employment scheme? Is she further aware that timing is of utmost importance in this case as many of those clubs and community organisations have entered commitments with contractors and there are real limits to the finances they can raise through collections in their parishes? If they are to succeed it is imperative that they get an early decision and sufficient grant aid. In view of the decision of the Minister of State's predecessor how can she now say that there is no decision in this matter?
Rathnure GAA Club, Taghmon Community Centre, Ballyhogue GAA Club, Bree, and Bannow-Ballymitty GAA Club submitted applications to my predecessor under the capital grants scheme. All of these were not included in the allocations that he subsequently made. However, for some unknown reason, the former Minister of State informed all four that they were considered for assistance and that they would qualify under the temporary youth employment scheme although none of those mentioned had applied for assistance under that particular scheme. It is only since the Department submitted application forms to all of those that the applications have come in.
Do I detect that under the new Minister of State there is a deliberate attempt to delay the approval of grant aid for those? There is no difficulty for the Minister here because approval had already been given. It is just a simple matter of finding the funds to pay for this. The Minister has not addressed herself to the very serious situation with regard to the timing. It is essential that those varied groups get the go-ahead. I detect from the Minister, in regard to the political answer she gave, some indifference in this regard. Will the Minister give some definite commitment in the House to these genuine requests? If we take the Rathnure GAA Club, for the Nicky Rackard Park £70,000 is the total outlay involved and there is no way——
I did not realise the Deputy was so involved in the GAA. I do not believe the Deputy ever saw a football in his life.
There is no way they can raise that type of money without grant aid.
Nicky Rackard was a hurler.
There is no way they can undertake this work without money. They are now waiting for some commitment from the new Minister of State. Can she give that commitment to the House now?
I appreciate the Deputy's difficulty because I am faced with many of the same schemes in my constituency. No Minister has a right to approve any kind of grant when he or she has no application for that grant in front of him or her. I am not being political in any way. I am telling the Deputy that all the areas he is interested in had applied for assistance under the capital grant scheme. Their applications under that scheme were refused. They never submitted applications under the temporary youth employment scheme although I admit they were informed by my predecessor by letter that they had qualified under that scheme. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that one cannot give approval when no application has been made or is on record in the Department. Since my appointment as Minister of State application forms were sent to all of those clubs. Rathnure and Ballyhogue have sent back their completed application forms and they are being dealt with as speedily as possible in my Department.
There are a number of factual matters I want to deal with. Could I ask the Minister to be particularly careful about what she puts on the record of the House because it has not been a good week for her from the point of view of her allowing her political views to obtrude.
Has the Deputy a question?
In view of the Minister's reply I would ask you not to shut the door on this matter.
Has the Deputy a supplementary question?
I have two questions. First, will the Minister state when the applications for capital grant aid from the clubs she refers to were refused? Is it not the case that they were not refused at any point? Secondly, is it not the case that approval under the youth employment scheme was given by accepting the information contained in the capital grants scheme and by approving in principle the applications subject to full compliance with all the terms of the scheme? If the Minister accepts that statement of fact, will she accept also that she is appearing to do her predecessor, namely myself, a disservice by the manner in which she has presented her reply?
All of the allocations of grant aid under the capital grants scheme were made prior to my coming into office——
What were the refusals?
——some of them as late as 8 March. All of those that would not qualify for grant aid under the capital grants scheme can be treated as having been refused.
That is the way the Minister may treat them but I did not treat them as such.
When they are not given a grant are they not considered to have been refused?
There were not refusals in the sense that some applications had been considered and approved while others were still pending.
How can there be applications awaiting approval if there is no money left?
These people were not refused at any time and that is the truth.
The truth is that Deputy Yates and many other Deputies have been under an illusion because applicants were informed at one point that they would qualify for grant assistance under the temporary youth employment scheme when in fact no application had been made by any of the clubs that Deputy Yates is interested in under that scheme. There are hundreds of such clubs around the country who are in the same position. This puts all Deputies in the unfortunate situation that their local clubs and community centres do not know what is happening in this regard.
Is it not the case that an unprecedented sum of money — five times the previous year's figure — is being made available under the aegis of the temporary youth employment agency for the temporary youth employment scheme? Is it not then highly probable that any applicant to whom approval has been issued in principle, without specification as to any sum involved and subject to full compliance with the terms of the scheme, will be so approved if the Minister so wishes? What the Minister is trying to do is to go back on commitments entered into properly and for which full resources were available and are still available in the Department. Is it not the case that any approval that issued was at all times qualified by the reference that such grant would be paid only if the application was in full compliance with the terms of the scheme?
For the information of the House I should point out that the two schemes operated by my section of the Department are two totally different schemes. One is a capital grant scheme and the other is a temporary youth employment scheme. One very often finds that applicants under the capital grants scheme would not be interested in getting assistance under the temporary youth employment scheme because that situation would not suit them in terms of the type of work they are doing.
In that case there is no problem.
There is a huge problem.
And the Minister is now reneging on commitments made.
The Deputy should await the Minister's reply.
It is regrettable that the former Minister of State would try to insinuate in some way that I might be telling lies in the House. In the four cases concerned there was application for assistance under the capital grants scheme but there was no application in the Department from any of them under the temporary youth employment scheme at the time when they were informed by the previous Minister of State that they were to be given assistance under the temporary youth employment scheme. Since I assumed office application forms have been sent to those concerned and two of those have been returned. I have assured Deputy Yates that these will be dealt with as speedily as possible and so long as all of the criteria are met by those two groups they will be allocated grants under the temporary youth employment scheme.
I have one final question.
I will allow Deputy Yates a final supplementary.
There are four questions being taken together so perhaps you should allow as much latitude as possible. I am alarmed to hear the Minister say that nobody knows where they are in regard to this whole matter. Concerning the illusions she referred to, I put down these questions so that any illusion might be cleared up. As one who is representing the clubs concerned here I am not satisfied with the reply that the applications will be dealt with speedily. I want a commitment that grant aid will be given. I was given such a commitment on 11 February. If such a commitment can be given, what is to be the basis of it? Will it be by way of a percentage of the total cost?
Again, this is the illusion that those involved seem to be under. There is no question of a percentage when talking about the temporary youth employment scheme. The only case in which a percentage operates in this area is under the capital grants scheme. When talking about the temporary youth employment scheme one is talking about providing employment for young people for a set number of weeks and about remunerating somebody to act as supervisor during the time that the work in question is continuing. Applications have been received from the Rathnure and Ballyhogue clubs. An inspector from the Department will be visiting both clubs and that inspection will be starting on 3 May. Depending on whether all the criteria can be met, they will be considered for financial assistance.
Is there any indication on the Minister's files of any case in which a letter of approval for grant aid issued either under my name or in the name of the Department in which reference was not made to the need for compliance in full with every aspect of the scheme?
I have stated——
Is the answer yes or is it no?
——that many hundreds of clubs and community councils applied for grant aid under the capital grants scheme.
The Minister is not answering the question.
The Deputy has drawn me. They applied under the capital grants scheme but they did not at any time submit an application for grant assistance under the temporary youth employment scheme.
Some did.
They had been told, though, by the former Minister that they would get grant assistance under the temporary youth employment scheme.
That was if they complied in full with the conditions of the scheme.
Like Deputy Yates and other Deputies, these people were not aware that there was a substantial difference between the two schemes.
The Minister is being deliberately deceitful.
I am not being deceitful.
Deputy Keating must withdraw that remark.
I will withdraw it provided——
The Deputy must withdraw the remark without condition.
I withdraw the remark, but in fairness to me the implication is that grants were approved by me without reference to the conditions of the scheme and that is not so. I have asked the Minister if she can produce evidence of any case in which it was not stated explicitly that an application must comply fully with the terms of the scheme. There is no such case and the Minister has not got the decency to say so. Instead, she is trying to blacken the situation.
(Limerick East): Is it not a fact that initial applications were made by many groups by way of letter to the Department seeking funds under any scheme under the auspices of the Minister at the time? Is it not a fact that there is correspondence in the Minister's Department to support that and that the then Minister, Deputy Keating, using his discretion, sent out one application form and asked for the information on it? The understanding all the time was that if a group did not qualify under the capital grants scheme the information would be transferred and assessed under the youth employment scheme.
(Limerick East): Is it not a fact that schemes referred to by Deputy Yates and schemes in my constituency were approved in principle provided all aspects of the scheme were complied with?
The Deputy is making a speech. He should ask a question.
The Deputy cannot get a straight answer.
It is obvious that the Deputy is asking a question.
I should like to tell Deputy Collins that there are some in his constituency.
I hope they get the money they are entitled to.
(Limerick East): I have asked at least 15 questions and I did not make a statement.
The Deputy is permitted to ask a short supplementary.
(Limerick East): My questions are short but I am stringing them all together.
The Deputy is asking a question and he is perfectly entitled to do so.
The Deputy is making a speech.
(Limerick East): One of the conditions under the scheme was the formal filling up of an application form——
The Deputy should ask a question.
(Limerick East): I am asking the Minister if that is the case. I should like to know why the Minister does not allow the approval of those schemes and the ones in my constituency to stand. Why is the Minister being bureaucratic and political in the matter?
I am being neither bureaucratic nor political. There are two separate and different schemes. Those who qualify under one scheme will find that the second scheme does not suit them in most cases.
Has the Minister asked them?
Yes, we have got the replies back and if the Deputy wishes me to name them in the House I will do so.
They do not know where they are going to get the money from. The Minister should honour those commitments.