Vol. 475 No. 7
211 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the voluntary and community groups which availed of grants from his Department in 1996; the unsuccessful applications in this regard; and the reason their applications were unsuccessful. [5603/97]
My Department operates a number of grant schemes which concentrate on support for local self-help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work. The individual grant schemes which support such voluntary and community activity are the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations, scheme of grants for locally-based women's groups, scheme of grants for locally-based men's groups and scheme of grants for lone parents. These are all once-off grant schemes.
In 1996, a total of 2,663 applications for funding from voluntary and community groups were received by my Department under the various schemes and some 1,333 groups were allocated grants amounting to a total of almost £2.5 million. In general, applications which were not successful did not satisfy the criteria of the schemes and/or were the responsibility of other statutory agencies. Unsuccessful applicants were notified in writing by the various regional offices of my Department.
Details of all grants paid under the various schemes in 1996, and in previous years, are available in the Library for the information of Members.
