asked the Minister for the Environment if an application from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 for a grant was considered by the Department before the recent decision was made to extend a number of grants to new amenities at community centres and sports clubs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grant Application.
12.
The application in question was not received in my Department until 14 October, 1986, after the announcement on the 13 October, of additional allocations under my Department's programme of assistance towards the provision of community, leisure and amenity facilities.
The application will be considered sympathetically and an early decision will be conveyed to the promoters in question.
Very recently a list of projects was published by the Government for special grants. Were these projects recommended to the Minister by Dublin Corporation or did the Department make their own decision? If so, on what basis was the decision made?
The decision was taken after consultation with the local authority.
I was informed of this by the Minister's Department and took the matter up with Dublin Corporation. That local authority advised me quite definitely that they did not make any recommendations to the Minister or to his Department on the applications which were awarded. That is the reason for my question. There seems to be some conflict of information from the Minister's Department and from Dublin Corporation.
There is no conflict at all. We had money available and consulted both local authorities, who made recommendations which we considered. We made grants where they were needed. We did consult the authorities on their opinion as to where the allotment of grants would be most suitable. We then considered that.
Did the Minister's Department follow the recommendations 100 per cent or were applications for projects which were not recommended by them chosen for grants?
These were only recommendations. As the Deputy is aware recommendations are something which can be accepted or rejected, but in 99 per cent of the cases they were accepted.
I must ask the Minister——
This is the last question, Deputy. I am not going to allow another.
Were these recommendations made by Dublin Corporation, because Dublin Corporation have informed me quite positively, as recently as last Monday night, that no such recommendations were made by the local authority to the Department?
Dublin Corporation gave me a list of proposals on which they should like to see some funding. Not all were funded because there was not sufficient funding available, but the corporation did give a list of recommendations and of alternative recommendations. Most of their recommendations were followed.
Finally, could I ask the Minister——
I shall allow this question.
With regard to the particular application to which I referred in my question, it obviously was not successful. Is it likely that that application could be successful in the near future in view of the fact that the project caters for somewhere in the region of 400 young people in that area? It is also being used as a community centre. There was an overdraft of £158,000 involved.
The Chair does not recognise that as a question, Deputy.
It is a question plus information of which the Minister may not be completely aware. In view of those circumstances, is it likely that his Department will favourably consider that application in the near future?
I favourably consider every application.
Question No. 13 sent for written reply.