Vol. 499 No. 5
99 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his Department will consider a further application for funding for the Hebron Park community centre, Kilkenny in view of the fact that there is a £25,000 shortfall on the project and the centre, when completed, will service a large residential area which has an almost 50 per cent unemployment rate. [3129/99]
My Department has for a number of years operated a range of grants schemes which concentrate on a wide range of support for local self-help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work, and on the provision of seed money to enable community groups to pilot initiatives identified as meeting new emerging community needs.
One of the grants schemes operated by my Department is the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations under which once-off grants are provided to help voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged groups or in disadvantaged areas. Grants may be made available under this scheme towards the cost of renovation or acquisition of premises or the purchase of equipment.
Grants totalling £50,000 have been paid towards the cost of the community centre referred to in the question under this scheme, £10,000 under the 1997 scheme and £40,000 under the 1998 scheme. Applications were recently invited for the 1999 grants schemes, the deadline for receipt of applications is 12 March 1999. If a further application for funding is made for this project, it will be considered under this year's scheme.
