asked the Minister for the Environment having regard to the Millennium of Dublin City in 1988, if he will outline the Government's efforts to assist, promote or in any other way participate in Millennium related events; if he will give an approximate estimate of the value and cost of the Government's participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dublin Millennium Projects.
255.
All contributions by Government Departments towards the Dublin Millennium are detailed in the table beneath. There is no practical way of quantifying the benefits involved but the large amount of parallel private sector investment and the numbers of visitors attracted to the city during the Millennium appear in broad terms to justify the value of the overall project.
|
Department |
Nature of Contribution |
Cost |
|
Agriculture and Food |
Plant display depicting Millennium insignia in National Botanic Gardens. |
Not available from within existing resources |
|
Communications |
Licensed RTE with VHF and medium wave sound broadcasting frequencies enabling the station to provide a local radio station concentrating on Millennium events during the year. |
No cost to Department |
|
Defence |
Use of naval ships for a number of Millennium events. |
No additional cost |
|
Eurovision Song Contest reception for 1,000 people at RDS. Defence Forces provided catering assistance. |
No additional cost |
|
|
Army Band participation in events. |
No additional cost |
|
|
Defence Forces participation in Dublin Millennium Birthday Party — and launching ceremony. |
£340.00 |
|
|
Education |
Grant assistance towards hosting of Millennium Athletics meeting and Millennium Marathon. |
£15,000 |
|
Assisting the organisation of Dublin Millennium Sports Conference. |
Not available |
|
|
Assisting the publicising of “The Viking Adventure”. |
Not available |
|
|
D'fhoilsigh Brainse na bhFoilseachán den Roinn Oideachais an leabhar An Chanáil. |
||
|
Environment |
Grants for repaving of Grafton Street and improvement works to O'Connell Street. |
£500,000 |
|
Special Grant from national lottery to sponsor a series of projects or events in the areas of arts and culture, community, youth, environmental improvement etc. during the celebration of the Millennium. |
£700,000 |
|
|
Energy |
Geological Survey of Ireland organised an exhibition on Dublin's stone buildings and building stones. |
£700 |
|
Contribution towards holding a Millennium Street Party. |
Minimal |
|
|
Contribution of timber free of charge for use in construction of replica of a longship. |
£4,500 |
|
|
Participation in Dublin Millennium Garden Festival. |
£1,500 |
|
|
Finance |
No direct official involvement but exterior of offices at Government buildings painted as a Millennium contribution. |
£12,500 |
|
Office of Public Works |
The main items of a major programme of activities were: |
Total cost £46,000 |
|
(a) Floodlighting of public buildings, |
||
|
(b) Grand Canal boat rally, |
||
|
(c) Exhibition at St. Mary's Abbey, |
||
|
(d) The Phoenix Park Open Day and the re-introduction of horse-drawn transport, |
||
|
(e) Concerts in St. Stephen's Green and St. Enda's, |
||
|
(f) Mural at the Customs House. |
||
|
Foreign Affairs |
Provision of information on the Millennium to embassies and consulates abroad. |
No additional cost |
|
Special Millennium edition of Department of Foreign Affairs bulletin Ireland Today distributed abroad. |
||
|
Gaeltacht |
Bord na Gaeilge involved in three minor projects. |
£3,500 |
|
Health |
No direct involvement. The Minister encouraged the hosting of several international conferences with a health theme in Dublin. |
Nil |
|
Industry and Commerce |
Millennium Science and Technology Scholarship Scheme set up. |
£56,000 over period 1988-1990 |
|
Floodlighting of Patents Office building. |
||
|
Irish Goods Council organised a Millennium window display of Dublin made furniture. |
£1,000 |
|
|
Justice |
Open day Garda H.Q. |
Nil |
|
Voluntary participation by Gardaí in OPW open day, Phoenix Park. |
Nil |
|
|
Crowd and Traffic Control duties by Gardaí for Millennium events. |
£10,000 |
|
|
Prisoners producing a detailed braille map of Dublin City. Book Dublin Be Proud is being translated into braille. |
£1,000 |
|
|
Labour |
Viking Ship built under auspices of a Community Group. |
Costs met within existing resources |
|
A number of sculptures were carried out for various locations throughout the City. |
||
|
Refurbishment of the Parrot House (Dublin Zoo). |
||
|
Exhibition of the history of Dublin Zoo and of Na Píobairí Uilleann. |
||
|
A reproduction of a 19th Century Dublin Street scene located at Crane Lane (off James' Street). |
||
|
Restoration of two trams for the Transport Museum. |
||
|
Involvement in Dublin Promotions Organisation Limited (whose purpose is to promote the aims of the Millennium) and the Finglas Millennium Festival through the Social Employment Scheme. |
||
|
FÁS provides MACHNAS with funding for 30 persons (20 on Social Employment Scheme and 10 on Teamwork) to build the Giant Gulliver which was wheeled around the city. |
||
|
Special CERT training programmes on knowing Dublin. |
||
|
Marine |
Hosting and participation in Dublin Millennium Maritime Week. |
£500 |
|
Social Welfare |
Enhancing city centre public offices and display of prints depicting Dublin scenes therein |
£11,500 |
|
Taoiseach |
The following special exhibitions were mounted to mark the Millennium: |
|
|
(i) Dublin 1000: an exhibition of objects from the National Museum's excavations in Dublin, |
£100,000 (approximately) |
|
|
(ii) Life in Merrion Square, glimpses of an 18th Century interior: Joint National Museum/ESB exhibition. |
Museum costs £25,000 approximately (greater portion of cost met by ESB) |
|
|
National Library/National Gallery |
||
|
Dublin Delineated: an exhibition of historic maps/paintings of Dublin. |
No major cost involved |
|
|
Tourism and Transport |
Encouragement of State sponsored bodies in Dublin area to participate in Millennium celebration. |
No direct cost |