Vol. 455 No. 8
101 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health if national lottery funding is made available to his Department to finance a scheme of grants; and if he will give details of this funding and the procedures involved for application. [13091/95]
Limerick East): The total amount allocated from national lottery funds to my Department for 1995 is £23.012 million. Approximately 80 per cent (£18.344 million) of this funding supports ongoing services and partly funds the capital programme.
A further amount of £3.39 million is allocated to health boards to fund the respite care grant scheme and the schemes of grants to voluntary organisations. These funds are distributed subject to certain guidelines laid down by my Department.
The remaining sum of £1.378 million in 1995 is available to support discretionary type grants. The procedures involved in relation to the allocation of these grants are briefly:
(a) A standard application form must be completed.
(b) The completed application form is referred to the relevant division within my Department for assessment and recommendation having regard to the nature of the service being provided by the organisation seeking the grant.
(c) The various requests and recommendations are submitted to me for my approval.
(d) Each organisation receiving a grant is informed in writing. A lottery grant may only be used on the project or for the purpose in respect of which it was approved and each organisation is requested to submit a certificate of expenditure to the Department on completion of the project or as soon as possible after the end of the financial year in which the grant was issued, whichever is the earlier.
(e) Where a project is not approved the organisation is informed of this in writing.
