Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 May 2003

Vol. 567 No. 5

Written Answers. - National Lottery Funding.

John McGuinness

Question:

349 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people in the SEHB area who have motor neurone disease; the funding granted to the association in each year from 1998 to date; if the current application for funding has been processed; if not, when a decision is likely; if grants are paid to organisations such as the MND Association in the year they are passed; if not, the reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14593/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

My Department received an application for a grant from the Department of Health and Children's 2003 allocation of national lottery funds from the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association in March this year. The organisation is seeking funding of €160,000 towards the cost of improving, maintaining and expanding its equipment bank.

There is a protocol in my Department for processing applications for national lottery grants. When the completed application form is received in my Department, it is registered in the finance unit and forwarded to the relevant services division for their assessment, evaluation and recommendation. All applications are then considered in the context of the recommendation and the overall level of funds available. The application is one of many under consideration for a grant from my Department and the organisation will be informed as soon as a decision has been made. Except where an application is being funded over more than one year, grants are paid to organisations within the year of approval.

The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association received grants from the Department of Health and Children allocation of national lottery funds from 1998 as follows: 1998, €55,868.47; 1999, €12,697.38; 2000, €101,579.05. While the national lottery applications submitted by the organisation in 2001 and 2002 were recommended for funding by the services division, the number of applications received far exceeded the available resources and it was not possible to assist during 2001 and 2002.

In addition to the above funding, the health promotion unit in my Department provided a grant of €10,000 in 2002 towards the cost of the design and production of a poster, a newsletter and three information brochures on MND. In addition to the above funding, the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association is funded for the health-related services it provides through the health boards-authority and I have asked the chief executive officers to provide this information directly to the Deputy.

While my Department does not routinely collect information on the number of people in the South-Eastern Health Board area who have motor neurone disease, a national physical and sensory database is being prepared in all health board areas. I have asked the chief executive officer of the South-Eastern Health Board if such information is available to him and to provide it directly to the Deputy.