Vol. 485 No. 2
280 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the amount of money allocated to his Department from the national lottery in relation to the scheme of grants for voluntary organisations in view of the recent book of Estimates; when applications will be sought under this scheme; when final allocations will be made in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22994/97]
The funding allocated to my Department from the national lottery is used to fund the community development programme, rather than the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations, which is funded from ordinary Exchequer sources. The allocation for the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations for 1998 is £1.07 million. As already announced, this scheme, along some of the other schemes operated by my Department, will form part of an integrated fund of once-off grants for pro-active support of community development and family support groups. These once-off grants will complement the programme funding available from my Department for the community development programme, for family and community services resource centres and for marriage and family counselling services.
It is anticipated that applications for once-off grants under this heading will be invited in the national press in January 1998, with a closing date in March 1998. Applications will be processed as soon as possible after the closing date.
