Deputy Fennell has given me notice of her intention to ask the Minister for the Environment to explain how, in 1990, £410,000 was allocated to scouting organisations and only £25,000 to guides through local authority allocation programmes, and if he will take action to prevent gender bias in all future allocations to such youth groups.
Adjournment Debate. - Amenities and Recreational Grants Scheme.
I thank the Chair for giving me time to raise this matter. I would like to share my time with my colleague Deputy Deenihan.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Every Member of this House got a letter from a woman correspondent in County Limerick in November 1990 seeking clarification about grants made by local authorities for amenity and recreational purposes. She claimed that support for male groups for 1990 was in the region of £330,000 and for women's groups, £6,000. She is a member of the Irish Girl Guides and was involved in preparing a lottery application for the provision of a regional training headquarters in the mid-west for guides. It was twice turned down. She then looked at the allocation to mens' and boys' groups over the same period and found that scouting organisations were granted over £330,000 for various dens for individual units. She asked me and every TD who make the decisions as to which applications receive funding, on what grounds the decisions are made and why womens' and girls' organisations are given so little. I am now asking these questions of the Minister of State.
At first I was disbelieving, but I sourced the funding to girl guides and scouts at national level. The figures I got for funding at national level showed no direct imbalance. Proportionately speaking, the annual grant for girl guides in 1990 was £28,000 and for scouts it was £443,000. In the context of their numbers, with 32,000 guides and 56,000 scouts this appeared to be all right at national level. I referred back to the local grants for 1990.
When I examined the figures in the amenities and recreational facilities grant scheme report, from lottery surplus funds I was horrified at the naked advantage given to male organisations. In effect, these funds are used almost solely for the betterment and enjoyment of sporting young males most of whom are well catered for anyway. Huge sums went to GAA clubs for dressing rooms, extensions of halls, development of pitches and for scout dens. In the middle of all these large grants I found a princely allocation to the Cooraclare Ladies Football Club of £500. I am sure the Cooraclare ladies felt under a great compliment to get this princely amount. Not one other club got such a small amount, except a handicapped riding centre which got £300. Women and handicapped are treated as second class under this scheme.
Government treatment of women in sport is a disgrace. It is having a harmful effect. In the study "Girls and Boys Come Out to Play", recently published by Thomond College on gender attitude to sport, the author said that the self image scores of boys and girls reflect the trends found in other studies, that girls were found to have less positive and more passive views of themselves than boys, and that this is almost certainly linked to broader societal stereotyping. The study showed that boys perceived themselves to be more involved, talented, intelligent, good looking and co-ordinated, free from stress and more achievement orientated than girls.
Lottery funding should be aimed at correcting these kinds of images rather than reinforcing them. I call for a special independent ombudsman to arbitrate on local authority applications and allocations. There is a need to stimulate and encourage applications from girls' organisations. It is not enough to refuse girls' and women's organisations when they make applications, and then say they do not apply. They should be encouraged to apply. They should not be turned down except for the best reasons. I suggest that women should consider boycotting lottery funding until they see equitable and fair treatment for both sexes from the proceeds.
This is another example of the unjust system of distribution of national lottery funds. It is obvious that the girl guides in the mid-west region did not receive grant aid because of the lack of political pressure and support. The distribution of national lottery funds under the amenities grants scheme is dictated by pressure from TDs and Ministers. Why was the application for grant aid to provide a regional training headquarters for 3,000 girl guides twice refused? In the same period why were scouting organisations granted over £330,000? Why did girl guide groups throughout the country only receive a total of £5,500? This was allocated in Cavan and perhaps someone had influence there to get that. I appeal to the Minister to ensure that when this application comes up again it will be considered sympathetically on its merits.
A Cheann Comhairle——
On a point of order, do we have a printed reply? This is the only debate tonight for which a reply has not been circulated.
I am using some notes which I can give to the Deputy if that is in order.
It is a matter for the Minister, not for the Chair.
The amenities and recreational grants scheme is funded from the national lottery. It has provided financing in 1988 and in 1990 for a wide variety of schemes designed to give opportunities of enjoyment to all sections of the community. I am glad to tell the House that the scheme will operate again in 1991.
In some respects, the amenities and recreational grants scheme has been a victim of its success. What I mean is that the scheme has been in constant overdemand. It has only been possible to grant assist a portion of the many worthy voluntary projects which are in planning around the country.
In allocating grants from among the many applications recommended to the Department by local authorities, we have operated on the basis of clearly stated criteria. Allocations take account of the desirability of the proposed work, the cost effectiveness of a project and the employment which may be expected to result, as well as the need to distribute available funds on an equitable basis to all areas of the country.
Grant applications are not generally identified by reference to their degree of use by men or women. Typically, the grants are made on the foot of applications by particular bodies. If bodies of a particular grouping make a large number of applications they are, in the nature of things, likely to receive more grants than those of another grouping which make comparatively few applications. Similarly, large projects, if grant assisted, are likely to receive a larger allocation than smaller and less expensive projects. Consequently, references to total allocations do not compare like with like and are not helpful.
Deputy Fennell's complaint is related to projects initiated by boy scouts and girl guides. In modern times, and apart altogether from the consideration regarding the numbers of applications made, any attempt to equate scouting organisations solely with boys only is misleading. The two main scouting organisations accept female members and I understand that, in fact, their membership includes large numbers of girls. Further, scout dens are also widely used by girl guides; in such cases, new or improved facilities benefit both groups. I wish to emphasise that allocations are made in as fair and equitable a manner as possible, starting from the assumption that all projects are, prima facie, eligible and worthy ones since they have been examined and recommended by the local authorities. All grant allocations are conditional on certification by the local authority concerned that the project when completed will be of public utility and will be available for public or community use as far as practicable.
The overwhelming public perception of the amenities/recreational facilities grant scheme is of something very well worthwhile. I am certain that the 1991 scheme will again benefit many excellent projects. I ask Deputies to encourage these organisations to apply and due consideration will be given to all these applications on the basis of the criteria which I have explained. It would be my aim and also the Minister's to give all sections of our community fair play. I appreciate the matter being raised here this evening. However, the total amount in 1990 was £6.5 million and Deputies can understand the enormous number of applications we received in our Department. The House can be assured of our intention to look after everybody in our society as best we can.
The Dáil adjourned at 11.05 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 27 February 1991.