asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has received an application for financial support from the Community Exchange Trust, 30 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, who specialise in programmes designed to bring together the two communities in Northern Ireland with the rest of the Irish population; if such an application is being favourably considered by his Department or by agencies related to his Department; if the application will be favourably received; when a decision to allocate funds will be communicated to the management of the trust; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community Exchange Trust Application.
9.
I have received a request from the Youth Community Exchange Trust for a grant to meet its running costs and to organise a North-South cultural exchange programme.
The trust was granted £18,000 by my Department in 1986. This grant was made from Subhead I of the Department's vote which provides moneys for the promotion of peace and reconciliation in Ireland and for Anglo-Irish co-operation. The trust was informed that the grant was provided on the understanding that my Department would not be able to finance its administrative costs in the future and that it should seek alternative funding. Before 1986 the Youth Employment Agency grant-aided the trust in relation to its administrative costs.
Allocations for the current year from this subhead have yet to be made but I have informed the trust that it will not be possible to make a grant this year. I understand from the trust that it has made an application to the International Fund for Ireland. The fund is administered by a board that takes decisions independently and that continues to be the position.
May I take it from the Minister's reply that he has made a recommendation to the fund he mentioned that they accede to the request of the trust?
While I have spoken to them about that——
Has the Minister made a recommendation to the international fund?
I want to emphasise that the international fund is an independent body representative of both parts of the country. I do not want to interfere with that independence.
As it is within the Minister's ambit, the trust is left without funds.
It is not that. The Deputy will appreciate that I have done what I can in this connection and I trust that my advice and the Deputy's advice will be adopted. It is entirely a matter for the fund committee. I am not in there disbursing the funds. I am sure the Deputy would not suggest that.
There is a difference between the two.