asked the Taoiseach the title, function, date of establishment and budget of each non-commercial State-sponsored body under his aegis; and if the rate of increase in its budget has exceeded or been less than the rate of increase over the past five years of (a) his own Department and (b) Government expenditure generally; and, if so, by how much.
Written Answers. - Non-Commercial State Bodies.
413.
The following is the information for non-commercial State bodies under the aegis of my Department. Two of the bodies concerned were transferred to my Department in 1980, their grants having already been settled at the time, and one was established in 1981. These and other additions to the Department's vote would make some of the comparisons sought by the Deputy since 1977 invalid.
The budget for each body is, for the purposes of the Deputy's Question, taken to be its grant-in-aid from the Exchequer.
(1) The National Economic and Social Council — This council was established in November 1973 to provide a forum for discussion of the principles relating to the efficient development of the national economy and the achievement of social justice, and to advise the Government on their application. The council came under the aegis of my Department in 1981 for funding purposes. Prior to that, funding came from the Vote of the Department of Economic Planning and Development.
The grant-in-aid for the council in 1977 was £60,000 and in 1981 it was £289,000, an increase of 381 per cent. Government expenditure over the same period increased by 148 per cent.
(2) The National Board for Science and Technology — This board was established on 5 April 1978. Its functions, set out in The National Board for Science and Technology Act, 1977 are as follows:
Advising the Government or the Taoiseach on policy for science and technology; co-ordination of activities in science and technology in the public sector; making recommendations via the science budget mechanism on financial allocations for science and technology; pilot and promotional activities.
The National Board for Science and Technology did not come to be funded from the vote for my Department until 1981.
The grant-in-aid for the NBST was £1.121 million in 1978 (the first year of its operation) and in 1981 it was £3.249 million an increase of 190 per cent. Government expenditure over the same period increased by 101 per cent.
3. An Chomhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council: the function of this council is to stimulate public interest in the arts, to promote the knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts, to assist in improving the standard of the arts and to organise or assist in organising of exhibitions (within or without the State) of works of art and artistic craftsmanship. The council was established on 8 May 1951. While the council comes under the aegis of my Department for administrative purposes its grant-in-aid forms a separate vote and is not included in the Department's budget. The grant-in-aid for the council in 1977 was £1,200,000. The grant-in-aid in 1981 was £3,750,000. This represents an increase of about 212 per cent.
4. An Ceoláras Náisiúnta/National Concert Hall: the National Concert Hall was established on 27 March 1981 to provide a prestigious national concert hall for the promotion of concerts and recitals of musical works of artistic, educational or cultural value. The grant-in-aid for the concert hall for 1981 was £150,000.