Vol. 510 No. 6
373 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the steps, if any, he will take to ensure continued funding for an organisation (details supplied) in Cork which is facing a major financial crisis in view of the fact URBAN funding expires in December 1999 and continued funding is vital for the work it is doing in enabling parents to avail of educational and employment opportunities. [23534/99]
As the Deputy is aware, the URBAN Programme 1996-1999 is one of the European Commission's community initiatives under which assistance is made available for integrated development programmes for a limited number of deprived urban areas throughout the EU. Financial support is provided for pilot programmes/actions that are demonstrable in nature and will become sustainable. Under the terms of the programme, all funds must be committed by 31 December 1999.
The three URBAN Steering Groups in Ireland (north Dublin, south Dublin and Cork city), who are fully responsible for the evaluation, selection and approval of projects within the context of approved local action plans and the URBAN budget available to them, had a clear mandate to support only projects which addressed the issue of sustainability.
The sponsors of the full day care facility for children project at Newbury House, at the time of their approval for grant assistance of £76,000 from the Cork URBAN steering group, were fully aware of the time limits which applied to the URBAN operational programme and specifically indicated their intention to seek alternative sources of funding after 31 December 1999. It was on this basis that the grant was approved.
As all funding available to the Cork City Urban Steering Group has been fully committed, there is no provision available under the URBAN programme from which additional funds can be provided.
Assistance from social inclusion measures has been provided for in the new National Development Plan, 2000-2006, further details of which will be available on completion of the regional operational programmes under which these moneys will be expected.
