Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 1

Written Answers. - Voluntary Groups Funding.

Dick Spring

Ceist:

344 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Labour if he will give details of the funding, if any, which is available to voluntary groups under any of the following, or any other headings, and if he will also outline the means of application: (a) development of community centres, (b) youth activities, (c) creches, (d) women in education, (e) education in rural areas, (f) anti-poverty, (g) womens' groups, (h) rural enterprise, (i) day care centres, (j) care of the elderly, (k) laundry, (l) meals on wheels, (m) tidy towns, (n) setting up community co-ops, (o) alternative evergy, (p) mother and child, (q) development in traditional craft, (r) sport and (s) health.

Minister for Labour (Mr. Cowen)

Assistance may be available through FÁS under a number of headings, (e.g. (a), (b), (f), (h), (n) and (q)) under schemes such as the social employment scheme, the community youth training programme, the local training initiative and the community enterprise programme. Details of funding and methods of application are a day-to-day matter for FÁS.

Assistance was made available under the European Community Initiatives — EUROFORM, HORIZON and NOW — to the end of 1993.

The EUROFORM Initiative concerns transnational partnerships in the area of new qualifications, new skills and new employment opportunities related to the completion of the Internal Market and technological change.

The HORIZON Initiative provides Structural Funds for innovative projects with a transnational dimension and is aimed at assisting the disabled and disadvantaged under broad categories identified in the guidelines.

NOW is the Initiative which aims to promote equal opportunities for women in the field of employment and vocational training through the development of transnational partnerships.

Further information on the three initiatives is available from the national co-ordinators in my Department.

These initiatives were vastly over-subscribed and the application procedure was completed in mid-1991.

State funding is available for voluntary emigrant welfare organisations. This aid is distributed on the recommendation of DÍON — the Advisory Committee on Emigrant Welfare Services based at the Irish Embassy, London.

DION on the basis of its assessment and analysis of the situation, determines its priorities, criteria and conditions for the granting of State aid. Each year, DÍON places advertisements in the community press in Britain inviting voluntary organisations, dealing with welfare problems of Irish emigrants, to apply for funding.