Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 8

Written Answers - National Lottery Funding.

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

111 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health whether he provided guidelines for the health boards in relation to the block grant of £2.7 million made to the health boards from lottery funding in 1990, so as to ensure that the money was spent in compliance with the recommendations of the Dáil all-party working group on the national lottery; whether he is monitoring the spending of this block grant by health boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

The recommendation of the Dáil all-party working group on the national lottery that the health boards should receive block grants to be assigned by them to local voluntary bodies has been implemented.

When issuing the block allocations to the health boards, my Department notified them of the following conditions attaching to grants issuing from the block allocations: grants may be allocated to community based projects under the headings: mental and physical handicap, the elderly, psychiatric services, child services, personal social services (including information and counselling services); at least 70 per cent of the block allocation should be allocated to local voluntary groups; grants should not be used in substitution for section 65 grants and particular care should be taken to ensure that grants are made only to viable schemes which will be completed within a reasonable period. The health boards should take particular care to assess the ongoing revenue implications in determining the priority of schemes.

My Department are monitoring the spending of the block grants in a number of ways. The health boards must ensure that all grants are expended on the authorised project only and that adequate certification of expenditure is submitted to the board either on completion or as soon as possible after the end of the financial year in which the allocation was made. It will be a matter for the local government auditors, appointed by me, to ensure that these procedures are fully complied with. In addition the health boards are also required to submit to my Department details of projects listed for assistance and of amounts to be issued. This must be done as soon as possible after the relevant decision is made and also at the end of the financial year.