Trevor Sargent
Question:85 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the nature of the grants and grant-in-aid in relation to his Department which will come in course of payment in the year ending 31 December 1998. [28132/98]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
I refer the Deputy to my recent reply in respect of grant schemes operated by my Department, Parliamentary Question No. 121 of Wednesday 2 December 1998. In addition, a token Supplementary Estimate was passed recently to approve a nominal amount, £1,000, for the initial administration costs of the millenium celebrations. However, no grants for the millenium celebrations will come in course for payment until 1999.
My Department has responsibility for two grants-in-aid, the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, and the National Economic and Social Forum, NESF. The grants-in-aid for each in respect of 1998 were £384,000 and £500,000, respectively.
In December 1997 the Government decided to reconstitute both the NESF and the NESC on a statutory basis. Legislation to give effect to this is at present with the Parliamentary Draftsman's Office and it is hoped to introduce the legislation in the new year. The grants-in-aid for 1998 covered the operating costs of the council and the forum during the year.
In addition, the Vote of my Department in 1998 contains specific financial allocations for a number of bodies under the aegis of my Department. These are as follows:
The All-Party Committee on the Constitution, £240,000;
The All-Party Committee on SMI, £50,000; The Information Society Commission, £500,000;
The National Partnership Centre, £500,000.
The McCracken and Moriarty tribunals are also funded through my Department.