Vol. 511 No. 4
13 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the way in which it is proposed to spend the allocation for the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation under subhead D in the 2000 Estimates for his Department; the proposals, if any, for further meetings of the forum in view of recent developments in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24320/99]
14 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the grants, if any, he will make under the Irish Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust Act, 1988, from the £450,000 provision in subhead C of the 2000 Estimates for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24322/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together.
In my reply to the House on 25 May last, I announced the allocation of more than £1.2 million in grants, under the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act 1988, for projects involving North-South and east-west co-operation or relating to the island of Ireland. This allocation fully exhausted the moneys available under the fund. I also circulated with my reply on that date a full list of 59 projects to receive funding.
The process of disbursing the grants is ongoing and, this year to date, grants have been issued to 33 organisations. I am circulating with my reply a full list of those organisations which have, so far, drawn down funds. The provision which has been made under subhead C of my Department's Estimates relates to those organisations which have not yet drawn down their funds, but which are expected to do so during 2000.
The allocations of funds between the years 1999 and 2000 were made on the basis of the best estimate of the requirements of the organisations in each year. It may be necessary, in the context of revised estimates, to take account of any shortfall in the drawdown of funds in 1999 as compared with the estimate originally made.
Regarding the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, provision has been made under subhead D of my Department's Estimates to allow for the contingency of the forum having one or more meetings in 2000. However, I recall that in a previous reply in this regard, I said that I believed, in the context of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, it would be preferable to see the primary axis for future island-wide consultation being the joint parliamentary forum and the independent consultative forum, envisaged in paragraphs 18 and 19, respectively, of strand two of the Good Friday Agreement. In that event, while it would be a matter for the chairperson and the participating parties, I envisage a final concluding meeting of the forum.
