I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together.
In 1999 the US-Ireland Alliance established the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme, a prestigious and competitive scholarship programme to enable American university graduates to pursue a year of study at institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The scholarship was named after Senator George J. Mitchell in honour of his pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process.
Following the enactment of the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund Act 1998, it was agreed to establish a Fund aimed at funding up to 12 scholarships per year. The 1998 Act also empowered the Minister for Education and Science to enter into an agreement relating to the management and control of the Fund. An Agreement was signed with the US-Ireland Alliance in March 1999. An Irish Government endowment of IR£2 million was subsequently paid into the Fund. The endowment was to fund 2 scholarships of US$11,000 per year and to meet the administrative costs associated with running the programme. A further 10 scholarships were funded annually under the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme. The costs of these scholarships were met through an endowment made by the British Government (2 scholarships per year) and other private contributions and/or sponsorship (including the US Government) secured by the US-Ireland Alliance.
The nominal value of the Fund decreased in a difficult investment climate in the US. In 2003 a decision was made to rest the Fund for a period by not making any disbursements in respect of scholarships from the income generated from the Fund.
Since 2003 the only charge against the income from the Irish Government's endowment has been in respect of audit and investment advisory fees. The costs of the scholarships and administration including salaries have been borne by the US-Ireland Alliance from funds it has raised from other sources. This includes several million dollars from the US Government.
In 2007 a decision was taken to secure the long term viability of the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme by increasing Ireland's contribution to the Fund for the programme by €20 million to be paid over a number of years, conditional on matching funding being raised by the US-Ireland Alliance. Such matching funding must not include funding from public funds in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
The George Mitchell Scholarship Fund (Amendment) Act 2010 was brought into operation on 1st June 2010. Pursuant to the terms of the amending legislation and new agreement, my Department paid €1,493,507 into the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund on 30th July 2010. This is the only payment made by my Department into this Fund since the initial endowment of IR£2 million in 1999.
To date, my Department has not received a claim for payment from the US-Ireland Alliance for 2011 and it is not possible at this stage to indicate the amount of funding that will be required or to give a breakdown of possible disbursements from it. My Department has not undertaken any evaluation of the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme.
Table 1 sets out the expenditure charged against the income from the Irish Government's endowment for the period 1999-2010. This information is taken from the audited accounts of the Fund.
Since the first cohort in the 2000/2001 academic year a total of 126 highly qualified US students (including the 2010/2011 cohort) have participated in the programme (see table 2 below). The Mitchell scholars receive an allowance of about $12,700 towards living expenses and a travel allowance of up to $2,300. Their fees and accommodation costs are met by the colleges they attend.
Breakdown of George Mitchell Scholars by Institution and Programme
|
Year
|
Scholars
|
Institutions
|
Programme
|
|
2001
|
12
|
Dublin City University
|
Financial and Industrial Mathematics
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
International Law and Human Rights
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Culture and Colonialism
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Maynooth
|
Medieval Irish History
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Irish Studies
|
|
|
Queens University Belfast
|
Human Rights and Law
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Peace Studies
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Multimedia Systems
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
English
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Mathematical Studies
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
Peace and Developmental Studies
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Biomedical Sciences
|
|
2002
|
12
|
Dublin City University
|
International Relations
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Classics
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Comparative Ethnic Conflict
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Ethnic and Racial Studies
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Anglo-Irish Literature
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Government
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Applied Social Studies
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Computer Science
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Politics
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
Peace and Development studies
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
International Relations
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Biotechnology
|
|
2003
|
12
|
Dublin City University
|
Political Communications
|
|
|
NUI Galway
|
Human Rights Law
|
|
|
NUI Galway
|
International Human Rights Law
|
|
|
NUI Maynooth
|
Geography
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Human Rights Law
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Creative Writing
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Community Health
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
History of Art
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Anglo-Irish Literature
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Anglo-Irish Literature
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Peace and Conflict Studies
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Political Communications and Public Affairs
|
|
2004
|
11
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Health Promotion
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway and Queens University Belfast
|
Human Rights Law
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Comparative Ethnic Conflict
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Human Rights and Criminal Justice
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Irish Theatre and Film
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
International Peace Studies
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Economic Science
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
International Relations
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Anglo-Irish literature
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Equality Studies
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
International Studies
|
|
2005
|
12
|
Dublin City University
|
International Relations
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Economic Policy Evaluation
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Zoology
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Comparative Ethnic Conflict
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Comparative Ethnic Conflict
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Civil Engineering
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Drama Studies
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Equality Studies
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Politics
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
International Studies
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
International Studies
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Peace and Conflict Studies
|
|
2006
|
11
|
Dublin City University
|
International Security and Conflict Studies
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Economic Policy Evaluation
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Music Composition
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Comparative Ethnic Conflict
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Ecumenics
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Fire Engineering
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Applied Science
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Equality Studies
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
Biomedical Engineering
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Peace and conflict studies
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Irish History and politics
|
|
2007
|
11
|
Dublin City University
|
Journalism
|
|
|
Dublin City University
|
International Security and Conflict Studies
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Biomedical Science
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway and Queens University Belfast
|
Human Rights and Criminal Justice
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
International Politics
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
International Peace Studies
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Creative Writing
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Anglo-Irish Literature
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
Peace and Development Studies
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
International Studies
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Peace and Conflict Studies
|
|
2008
|
12
|
Dublin City University
|
International Security and Conflict Studies
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
International Human Rights Law
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Maynooth
|
Musicology
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Ethnic Conflict
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Theory, culture and identity
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Applied Social Research
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Environmental Science
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Contemporary Migration/Diaspora studies
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Politics
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Meteorology
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Development Studies
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Cultural Policy and Arts management
|
|
2009
|
12
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Public Advocacy and Activism
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Sociology
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Human Rights
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Environmental Science
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Neuroscience
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Peace Studies
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Maynooth
|
Anthropology and Development
|
|
|
Dublin City University
|
Political Communication
|
|
|
Dublin City University
|
Development Studies
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Creative Writing
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Violence, Terrorism and Security
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Mobile Networking and Computing
|
|
2010
|
12
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Masters in Neuroscience
|
|
|
University College Cork
|
Public Health
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
Music Therapy
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Masters in Environmental Science
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast and National University of Ireland Galway
|
Masters in Human Rights Law
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Maynooth
|
Immunology and Global Health
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Playwriting
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Rural Development
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
Masters in Gender, Globalization and Development
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Equality Studies
|
|
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Mathematical Physics
|
|
|
National University of Ireland Galway
|
International Human Rights Law
|
|
2011
|
9
|
Trinity College Dublin
|
Global Health
|
|
|
University of Ulster
|
Peace and Conflict Studies
|
|
|
Dublin City University
|
International Security and Conflict Studies
|
|
|
NUI Galway
|
Political Science and Sociology
|
|
|
University of Limerick
|
Sociology
|
|
|
University College Dublin
|
Public Health
|
|
|
NUI Galway
|
Writing
|
|
|
Queen’s University Belfast
|
Violence Terrorism and Security
|
|
|
NUI Maynooth
|
Military History and Strategic Studies
|
|
Total
|
126
|
|
|
