Vol. 497 No. 6
136 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the nature of each grant scheme operated by his Department since the formation of the Government; the objective of the scheme; and the name of each body or individual grant aided under each scheme. [25938/98]
The following grants are paid by my Department:
Civil Defence grants at the rate of 70 per cent of actual expenditure are paid to local authorities from the Defence Vote. The grants are paid in respect of costs incurred by local authorities on administration, training and equipment. The total amount of grants paid in 1997 was £1.7 million and the figure for 1998 will be about the same.
A grant-in-aid is paid to the Irish Red Cross Society from the Defence Vote each year. The grant provides for the running costs of the Society, a refund of expenses incurred in maintaining a home for refugees and payment of the State's annual contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The amount of the grant was £535,000 in 1997 and is the same this year.
A grant-in-aid is paid to Coiste an Asgard from the Defence Vote each year in respect of the running costs of the sail training vessel Asgard. The amount of the grant was £400,000 in 1997 and will be £350,000 this year.
Grants in respect of the provision of free travel, electricity bottled gas, television licences and telephone costs are paid from the Army Pension Vote to Veterans of the War of Independence, their spouses or widows. Funeral grants are also payable in respect of deceased veterans. The total amount paid by my Department in 1997 in respect of the foregoing concessions and funeral grants was £210,000 and expenditure this year will be about the same.
