Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Cost of Asgard.

Dick Spring

Question:

211 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Defence the annual cost of maintaining the Asgard; the number of persons in full-time employment; and the number of persons who availed of sail training over the past three years. [26436/01]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith):

Coiste an Asgard, which manages Asgard II, received a Lottery funded, grant-in-aid, of £473,000, 600,586, in 2000 while the provision for this year is £504,000, 639,948. The income of an coiste is supplemented by the fees payable by trainees which in 2000 amounted to £132,688, 168,480. The main items of expenditure on the operation of the Asgard for the year ended 31 December 2000 were:

	£
Salaries	285,804	362,897
Maintenance of Vessel	137,554	174,658
Cruise expenses	112,254	142,534

Coiste anAsgard employs seven full-time staff, comprising five permanent crew and two administrative staff. Relief crew are employed as required.

The number of persons who participated in sail training cruises onAsgard II in each of the past three years is as follows:

1999	472
2000	444
2001	500 (estimated).