asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of applications his Department received for funding under their allocation of the national lottery; the criteria applied in making the allocation to particular groups; the number, names and addresses of organisations which have been allocated national lottery grants by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - National Lottery Funds.
5.
This year a total of £850,000 is being provided from the national lottery for the scheme of grants to voluntary bodies administered by my Department. This includes a special provision of £100,000 for the St. Vincent de Paul Society for personal development and home management courses and £750,000 for once-off grants to voluntary organisations in the social services area.
Five hundred and sixty-five applications have been received for funding out of the £750,000 available. Grants are made, in consultation with the health boards, to voluntary organisations providing social services to deprived groups and people in need. The projects for which assistance is sought must be of a once-off nature and the maximum grant payable is 90 per cent of the overall cost of the project.
This year to date, in addition to the £100,000 for personal development and home management courses, grants amounting to £671,000 have been approved in respect of 91 organisations. The details of the projects involved are set out in the tabular statement which will be circulated in the Official Report.
|
Organisations approved for funding |
£ |
|
Alzheimer Society of Ireland, St. John of God, Stillorgan, County Dublin |
750 |
|
Ashbourne and District Senior Citizens Association, Ashbourne, County Meath |
3,000 |
|
Baldoyle Hospital Trust Fund Committee, St. Mary's Hospital, Baldoyle, Dublin 13 |
5,000 |
|
Ballyfermot Family Resource Centre, Lynch's Lane, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 |
20,000 |
|
Ballyfermot/Inchicore Community Playgroup, Drumfinn Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 |
1,500 |
|
Ballymun Holiday House Committee, Shangan Avenue, Ballymun, Dublin 11 |
7,500 |
|
Barnardo's (Blanchardstown Branch), Harold's Cross Road, Dublin 6 |
15,000 |
|
Bonnybrook Unemployed Action Group, Bunratty Road, Bonnybrook, Dublin 17 |
1,800 |
|
Cahirciveen Social Services, Cahirciveen, County Kerry |
10,000 |
|
Candle Community Trust, PO Box 1145, Candle Centre, Kylemore Road, Dublin 10 |
1,500 |
|
Capuchin Day Centre, Capuchin Friary, Church Street, Dublin 7 |
9,000 |
|
Cara House, Bayside, Dublin 13 |
2,500 |
|
Care of the Aged Committee, Tourmakeady, County Mayo |
18,000 |
|
Carnew Community Care, Carnew, County Wicklow |
10,000 |
|
Cashel and District Social Services, Lisheen, Old Road, Cashel, County Tipperary |
7,000 |
|
Castlegregory Community Council, Castlegregory, County Kerry |
3,000 |
|
Catholic Social Services Conference, Centrecare, Cathedral Street, Dublin 1 |
7,000 |
|
Catholic Social Services Conference, Hostel for Homeless Boys, 49 Percy Place, Dublin 1 |
7,000 |
|
Catholic Social Services Conference, St. Agatha's Food Centre, North Clarence Street, Dublin 1 |
20,000 |
|
Christ the King Day Centre, Offaly Road, Cabra, Dublin 9 |
3,000 |
|
Clonmel Youth Encounter Project, O'Connell Street, Clonmel, County Tipperary |
4,000 |
|
Committee for the Education and Training of Travellers, Tullamore, County Offaly |
10,000 |
|
Community Services Programme, Christchurch Place, Dublin 8 |
8,000 |
|
Cork Young People's Multiple Sclerosis Group, Gerard Griffin Street, Blackpool, County Cork |
720 |
|
County Waterford Seasame School for Handicapped, Youghal Road, Dungarvan, County Waterford |
3,000 |
|
Daughters of Charity, St. Vincent's, North William Street, Dublin 1 |
12,000 |
|
De Montfort Men's Club, Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1 |
2,000 |
|
Donnycarney/Beaumont Social Services, St. John's, Malahide Road, Dublin 3 |
650 |
|
Drogheda Homeless Aid Group, North Strand Drogheda, County Louth |
5,000 |
|
Family Resource and Community Development Centre, Ard Chualann, Bray, County Wicklow |
10,000 |
|
Family Support Centre, Newbury House, Old Youghal Road, Cork |
10,000 |
|
Fermoy Community Resource Centre, Grangemount, Fermoy, County Cork |
15,000 |
|
Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their Children, Upper Rathmines Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6 |
1,000 |
|
Galway Diocesan Youth Services, House for Homeless Girls, 4 Augustine Street, Galway |
9,000 |
|
Galway Social Services Council, Fairgreen House, St. Francis Street, Galway |
8,000 |
|
Glin Court Senior Citizens Committee, Moatview Court, Priorswood, Dublin 17 |
250 |
|
Gort and South Galway Social Services, Convent of Mercy, Gort, County Galway |
1,000 |
|
Hearth Limited (Single Parents), Redemption Road, Cork |
2,000 |
|
Irish Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis, Shalimar, Friarspark, Trim, County Meath |
10,000 |
|
Irish Association for Autistic Children, Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin 1 |
10,000 |
|
Irish Society for Autistic Children, Knockrea Park, Douglas Road, Cork |
15,000 |
|
Irish Wheelchair Association, Arus Chuchlain, Blackheath Drive, Dublin 3 |
20,000 |
|
Clontarf Senior Club/Irish Wheelchair Association, St. John's House, Seafield Road, Dublin 3 |
7,000 |
|
Kiltalown House Centre, Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin 24 |
20,000 |
|
KLEAR (Local Education for Adult Renewal), Grangepark N.S., Raheny, Dublin 5 |
3,500 |
|
Marist Rehabilitation Centre, Our Lady's Hermitage, Retreat Road, Athlone, |
|
|
County Westmeath |
3,500 |
|
Menlough Social Services, Menlough, Ballinasloe, County Galway |
1,800 |
|
Mervue Adult Training and Education Group, Community Centre, Mervue, Galway |
5,000 |
|
Miracle Club for the Deaf, Ardeasmuin, Dundalk, County Louth |
500 |
|
Mullyash Community Council, Mullyash, Castleblayney, County Monaghan |
15,000 |
|
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland, Sandymount Green, Dublin 4 |
4,000 |
|
National Association of Widows in Ireland, Upper Ormond Quay, Dublin 7 |
1,500 |
|
National Council for the Blind of Ireland, Lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2 |
12,000 |
|
Nenagh and District Social Services, Loreto Hall, Nenagh, County Tipperary |
7,500 |
|
Newcastlewest Meals on Wheels, Newcastlewest, County Limerick |
1,800 |
|
Newport Social Services, Convent of Mercy, Newport, County Tipperary |
15,000 |
|
Northside Counselling Centre, Riverside Park, Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 |
4,000 |
|
Open Door Trust, Oldcourt Industrial Estate, Boghall Road, Bray |
5,500 |
|
Order of Malta Workshops and Training Centre, Industrial Estate, Donore Road, Drogheda, County Louth |
10,000 |
|
Passage East and Crooke Development Association, Passage East, County Waterford |
4,000 |
|
Poor Sisters of Nazareth, Nazareth House, Churchill, Sligo |
15,000 |
|
Pre-school Parents Group, Ardmore Avenue, Knocknaheeny, Cork |
2,000 |
|
St. Canice's Community Services, St. Joseph's Road, Kilkenny |
700 |
|
St. Francis Training Centre, Father Matthew Street, Cork |
18,000 |
|
St. Hilda's Services for the Mentally Handicapped, Grace Park Road, Athlone, County Westmeath |
4,000 |
|
St. Joseph's Parish Youth Committee, Parochial House, Greencastle Road, Dublin 17 |
15,000 |
|
St. Luke's Nursery, Kilbarron Park, Kilmore West, Dublin 5 |
2,500 |
|
St. Luke's Senior Citizen Club, Castletimon Road, Kilmore West, Dublin 5 |
2,500 |
|
St. Mary's Day Nursery, Henrietta Street, Dublin 1 |
4,000 |
|
St. Michael's House, Willowfield Park, Goatstown, Dublin 14 |
16,000 |
|
Sacred Heart Home, Roslea Road, Clones, County Monaghan |
5,000 |
|
Sisters of Charity, Social Services Centre, St. Mary's, Cappagh, Finglas West, Dublin 11 |
1,000 |
|
Sligo Social Services, Charles Street, Sligo |
3,000 |
|
Special Child's Club, Cushlawn Park, Killinarden, Tallaght |
800 |
|
Stoneybatter Community Enterprises Limited, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 |
9,000 |
|
Sutton Meals on Wheels, Bayside, Dublin 13 |
1,500 |
|
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Buncrana, County Donegal |
9,000 |
|
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Bundoran, County Donegal |
10,000 |
|
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Longford Street, Killorglin, County Kerry |
6,000 |
|
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Ozanam Holiday Home, Mornington, County Meath |
10,000 |
|
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Ozanam House, St. Augustine Street, Galway |
6,000 |
|
Tallaght Travellers Project, c/o Dublin County Council Offices, VEC, Tallaght, Dublin 24 |
1,000 |
|
Tallaght Unemployed Resource Centre, Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24 |
5,000 |
|
Tallaght Welfare Society, Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24 |
8,000 |
|
Teenage Care Development Trust, Salesian House, Lower Sherrard Street, Dublin 1 |
20,000 |
|
Templemore Community Social Services, The Mall, Templemore, County Tipperary |
7,500 |
|
Togher Social Services, c/o The Presbytery, Togher, County Cork |
2,500 |
|
Volunteer Stroke Scheme, Coralstown, Mullingar, County Westmeath |
1,500 |
|
Waterford Hospice Movement, Waterford City |
20,000 |
|
West Clare Mental Health Association, c/o Day Hospital, Kilrush, County Clare |
10,000 |
|
Wexford Parish Development, (WATCH), The Presbytery, Wexford |
15,000 |
I want to ask the Minister a number of questions because I am very concerned about the way lottery funds are being allocated. The Minister said there were 565 applications to his Department for the money available, that 91 approvals to date have been granted, and that the bulk of the money has now been approved. On what basis was the decision made to give the money to these 91 organisations? Who made the decision? Are there application forms in the Department that groups can see in order to make their applications? Are there criteria laid down in documentary form that groups can examine before making their applications?
This scheme was in operation before we had the lottery funds. The criteria are reasonably well known and established. Our area is that of social services, with the main emphasis on poverty. The groups involved deal with the elderly, the handicapped, single parents and so on. The Deputy will see from the long list the kind of organisations involved. There are also a number of family resource centres, food centres and other clearly identifiable organisations operating in the social services area.
How many are in the Minister's constituency?
Very few, and very little money either. It also depends on who applies. There was an advertisement placed in the newspapers and people were invited to apply up to 31 March.
Were the criteria set down in the advertisement?
The general criteria, yes.
The Minister provided money for 91 groups and there were 565 applications. I presume they all come into the categories——
They would not all come into the categories laid down. For instance, we get quite a few applications from people who want to take others on holidays. These are once-off grants. It would be very rare to give a grant for a holiday, although it would be very nice if we could do it, but if we did that the money would go very quickly and we would have nothing to show for it. We have a very small section in the Department which process the applications, have discussions with the health boards——
Who makes the decisions?
It is very well organised and provides a very good public service. I am very glad the Deputy is bringing out how well the section is run because I am a little concerned about some of the statements I read recently in the newspapers which do not relate to the way I see the scheme operating. Ultimately, the Minister makes the decisions. There is no great difficulty and there has never been any serious objection to these grants, as the Deputy will see from the list. What we try to do is spread the money around the country. In relation to the number of applications, one health board area may do better than another but we try to ensure a spread throughout the health board regions. Do not look at the grants in terms of constituencies or counties, look at health board regions because we are talking about social services and that is the basis on which we operate. That also relates to the applications we get and to the projects in hand. We tend to favour once-off projects run by voluntary groups which would have a major input into the community. Consequently organisations like family resource centres and unemployed groups get priority.
The reply to this question is mainly by way of a long tabular statement. I suggest the Deputy wait until she sees that tabular statement.
Would the Minister object to the appointment of an independent board to allocate the funds? How are the groups informed of the approval of their applications?
They are informed by letter.
From the Minister?
Normally the cheques are sent in the post. On a rare occasion, for instance, when we gave £100,000 to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, they asked me to deliver the cheque personally, which I did. I thought it appropriate because this was a major development. This money was to be used to provide courses for more than 5,000 families and the organisation wanted to signify how important this was and we had an official hand-over.
Normally the cheques are sent through the post once all the criteria are met. Approval is given when our criteria are met and then there are certain requirements which come under the Department of Finance which have to be approved. Normally it will take two or three weeks after the approval of a project for a cheque to be sent out.