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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2018

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Questions (115)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

115. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of funding or grant aid his Department has made to an association (details supplied) from 1 January 2008 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the purpose for which the funding or grant aid was released to the association; if the way in which the funding or grant aid or both is used is audited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50067/18]

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Written answers

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has funded the Football Association of Ireland during the period 2017 to date through both the Emigrant Support Programme and the Reconciliation Fund.

The UK Welfare Officer programme was established in 2008 and was supported jointly by the Football Association of Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's

The programme provided assistance, support, advice and counselling services to Irish players aged 16+ that moved to the UK to become involved in the UK professional football game.

To ensure ongoing quality control, and in addition to ongoing monitoring and evaluation of projects based on reporting by organisations and visits by Missions, the Department commissions a number of on-site, external audits each year. As set out in the 2015, Global Irish: Ireland's Diaspora Policy, we are working to commit 1% of the ESP budget to quality assurance, including the annual programme of evaluation and audits.

The following table lists the total amount of funding granted through the ESP to the FAI since 2008.

Transaction Date

Description

Transaction Amount

Name

16/05/2008

ESP grant FAI 2008

50,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

25/11/2009

ESP grant FAI 2009

50,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

09/08/2010

ESP grant FAI 2010

42,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

05/08/2011

ESP grant FAI 2011

42,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

17/12/2012

ESP grant FAI 2012

35,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

26/07/2013

ESP grant FAI 2013

42,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

11/12/2014

ESP grant FAI 2014

42,844

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

07/12/2015

ESP grant FAI 2015

55,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

05/12/2016

ESP grant FAI 2016

55,000

Emigrant Support Programme, IAU

TOTAL

413,844

In addition, in 2008 the Reconciliation Fund supported the FAI with a grant of €25,000 towards an all-island coaching conference for over 400 voluntary grassroots football coaches, organised in partnership with the Irish Football Association. The conference aimed to provide an opportunity for coaches to network on a cross-border basis, and to engage with Irish and international coaches in talks and practical sessions to assist in the development of young players, both male and female. It aimed to promote meaningful cross-border links by encouraging both associations to work together to deliver a conference which would also provide coaches from across the island with the opportunity to network and establish relationships.

All grantees awarded funding through the Reconciliation Fund are required under the grant's terms of agreement to submit a post-grant narrative and financial report demonstrating how the grant was spent, as well as the organisation's accounts for the relevant year clearly showing the grant as a separate item of income. The grant's terms of agreement provide for auditing spot-checks to be undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on a number of grants made through the Reconciliation Fund in a given year. The Comptroller and Auditor General also carries out a number of spot-checks on Reconciliation Fund grant payments on an annual basis.

Transaction Date

Description

Transaction Amount

Name

20/06/2008

T1 2008 – FAI

25,000

Reconciliation Fund, IUKA

TOTAL

25,000

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