Grant Payments.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2010

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Questions (841, 842)

Brendan Kenneally

Question:

911 Deputy Brendan Kenneally asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the organisations who administered funding under the €5 million salmon hardship fund; the amount for which each organisation was responsible; the amount that each of these organisations used from their allocations to cover administration costs; the amount of funding that remained unspent by the deadline of 30 November 2009; and if this funding was returned to his Department. [1597/10]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Conor Lenihan)

The Community Support Scheme (CSS) was administered through 14 LEADER companies and Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann in respect of island communities and Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teoranta, in respect of the Gaeltacht areas.

The following table sets out the position in relation to the delivery of the scheme by each LEADER Company.

LEADER Company	Allocation*	Administration** costs charged	Funding not drawn down
	€	€	€
Clare Local Development Co Ltd	183,000	30,000	29,440
Comhar na nOileain Teoranta	189,405	31,050	17,352
Donegal Local Development Co Ltd	294,930	45,000	Nil
Galway Rural Development Co Ltd	182,047	11,467	105,151
Inishowen Development Partnership	282,367	46,200	38,050
Louth Leader Rural Development Co	90,533	5,325	85,208
Meath Partnership	91,500	15,000	5,296
Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teo	842,800	104,500	Nil
North & East Kerry Development	161,040	26,400	11,503
Sligo Leader Partnership Co	137,250	22,500	6,404
South & East Cork Area Development	188,000	30,000	Nil
South Kerry Development Partnership	342,210	56,100	Nil
Waterford Leader Partnership	615,400	70,000	190,146
West Cork Development Partnership	733,300	70,000	87,298
West Limerick Resources	183,000	30,000	12,887
Wexford Local Development	91,500	15,000	4,528

*This amount is the net allocation for which each Leader Company was responsible after a 10% reduction applied in April 2009 as part of the budgetary adjustments.

**The administration fee was limited to 15% of the fund allocation subject to a maximum of 70,000. In the case of Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teo, this company implemented the scheme on behalf of Comhar Iorrais (Leader) Teo.

Funding was provided against matured liabilities and consequently unspent funds were not drawn down by the Leader Companies.

Olwyn Enright

Question:

912 Deputy Olwyn Enright asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; if he is satisfied with the manner in which this application was dealt with; the reason this person was approved without the application being appropriately concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1922/10]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

The Greener Homes Scheme, which supports installation of renewable heating technology in homes, is now in its third phase. To date, over 37,000 applications have been received for grant aid under the Scheme, with over €61m paid to over 24,000 applicants.

The third phase of the Greener Homes Scheme is limited to existing houses defined as residences that are over one year. This was introduced to align the scheme with the mandatory changes to Part L of the Building Regulations. The restriction to existing houses is clearly stated on the application form for the scheme and in the Terms and Conditions. The application which the Deputy refers did not specify that the house in question was less than a year old in the original documentation. When it subsequently transpired that the house was not eligible under the scheme Sustainable Energy Ireland was obliged to withdraw the grant offer.