asked the Minister for Education if he will provide sufficient funds to the AFAS Tiglin Adventure Centre in County Wicklow to avert its threatened closure.
35.
Written Answers. - County Wicklow Centre.
34.
asked the Minister for Education the amount of subsidy paid to the AFAS Tiglin Adventure Centre, Ashford, County Wicklow in each of the years 1977 to 1980 inclusive, if this subsidy is sufficient to cope with rising costs and capital expenditure; if his attention has been drawn to the threatened closure of this centre in the near future due to lack of funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions No. 34 and 35 together.
The following amounts have been paid to the Association for Adventure Sports under my Department's general scheme of assistance to sport: 1977, £13,000; 1978, £17,500; 1979, £17,500; 1980, £21,000.
In addition, under my Department's temporary grant scheme for youth employment, grants totalling £16,800 have been sanctioned towards the development of new premises at Tiglin.
The increases in the level of funding to AFAS compare quite favourably with the position of all other similar progressive voluntary organisations.