Vol. 509 No. 1
117 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the funds, if any, available within his Department to make once-off payments to deserving projects in the community and recreation areas which may not fit exactly into schemes operated by relevant Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19458/99]
My Department's Estimate, Vote 3, contains funding of £32.233 million for 1999, including £8.16 million for the administration costs of the Department and £24.073 million for programme expenditure. Much of the programme funding is allocated for the operational costs of various bodies under the aegis of my Department. These are the National Economic and Social Council, the National Economic and Social Forum, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, the National Centre for Partnership, the Information Society Commission, the All Party Oireachtas Committees on the Constitution and on the SMI, and the Moriarty and McCracken tribunals. There is also an allocation of £45,000 for territorial employment pacts.
The remainder of the Vote contains provision for the following: funding for millennium celebrations (£14.9 million), which is administered by my Department through the National Millennium Committee; grants under the Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act – £800,000 – for projects involving north-south and east-west co-operation or relating to the island of Ireland and funding to support commemoration Initiatives – £400,000. Payments are made to projects under these headings, subject to the relevant criteria for the award of such grants.
