Rory O'Hanlon
Question:250 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the funding, if any, that will be made available by his Department under the EU peace initiative fund. [10456/96]
Written Answers. - EU Peace Fund.
The Combat Poverty Agency, which reports to the Minister for Social Welfare, has, in co-operation with Area Development Management Ltd, a body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach, responsibility for three measures under the special support programme the funding of which is channelled through a subhead of my Department's Vote. The Combat poverty Agency, as the intermediary body, is fully responsible for the management and administration of the three measures in question.
These measures are: measures 3.4 which relates to cross-Border community reconciliation, measure 4.1 which relates to the development of grass roots capacities and promoting the inclusion of women and measure 4.4 which relates to the promotion of vulnerable groups and improving the accessibility and quality of services aimed at these groups. Total funding for these measures for this year and for 1997 is of the order of 16 million ECUs (IR£12.5 million approx.). The Irish Exchequer component of this is approximately 4 million ECUs (IR£3 million approx.).
For further information regarding the Peace Initiative, I would refer the Deputy to the answer which my colleague the Minister for Finance gave to Question No. 38, from Deputy Bertie Ahern, on 12 March 1996.