Written Answers. - Voluntary Groups Funding.
Dick Spring
Ceist:
99
Mr. Spring
asked the
Taoiseach
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) crèches, (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 energy, (p) mother and child, (q) development in traditional craft, (r) sport and (s) health.
In the Department of the Taoiseach Vote (Subhead J), £1 million is available to the Central Review Committee in 1992 under subhead J of the Vote for the Department of the Taoiseach, for the area-based response to long term unemployment outlined in section VII of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. This allocation is towards the staff and administration costs of the twelve area partnerships established in 1991 to pilot the initiative. The money is allocated to individual partnerships on the basis of administration budgets submitted by them.
The recent Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance indicated that the Government had agreed with the EC Commission that in keeping with the area-based strategy a new global grant for local development will be instituted. Details of the grant are being worked out in consultations between the Commission and the Irish authorities. £8 million has been mentioned by the Commission as being available in 1992 and 1993.
The twelve partnerships are preparing area action plans which will identify projects such as those mentioned in the question and these will be submitted to the European Commission for assistance under the global grant.
The Arts Council assist voluntary based groups as outlined hereunder, together with the means of application:
(a) Development of Community Centre
The Arts Council do not normally offer funds for the development of community centres per se, where these are understood to be multi-purpose buildings. The Arts Council reserve the bulk of their capital funds for major building projects which are arts-specific buildings such as arts centres and theatres.
However, the Arts Council offer limited funds to community level buildings. For example, the Arts Council are working in association with Dublin County Council on the development of Tallaght Community Arts Centre, located right beside the Square. The Arts Council gave grant-aid to Carrigallen Theatre, County Leitrim. The Arts Council offered a small development grant to an arts group in Blanchardstown to help them to develop a community arts centre.
Means of application: Organisations write to the Arts Council submitting a detailed capital expenditure budget. The project has a much greater chance of success if the project is arts-specific and if the project has received offers of capital funding from the local authority. In the area of community based buildings, the Arts Council normally take their lead from the local authority.
(b)Youth Activities and Women's Groups
The Arts Council assist voluntary groups engaged in youth activities or composed of women in the following ways.
The Arts Council run their artist in the community scheme which provides for the bringing together of an artist with a local community or youth group. The Arts Council assist about seven such projects per annum. The scheme enables the Arts Council to stay in touch with local community arts practice. The following are examples of those who have received assistance.
|
Community or Youth Group
|
Artist
|
Grant
|
|
|
£
|
|
Clondalkin Women's Travellers Development Group
|
Adrian Kenny
|
1,500
|
|
Galway Rape Crisis Centre
|
Maria Gibbons
|
1,500
|
|
Inchicore Resource Centre and Lourdes Youth and Community Services (Dublin)
|
Ailbhe Murphy
|
2,000
|
|
Adapt House (Limerick)
|
Fiona Bourke
|
2,000
|
The Community group or youth group can apply twice per annum in 1 February and 1 September for a grant of up to £2,000 for a community arts project to last from three to six months.
(c)Assistance at National Level
Because the Arts Council are a national-level funder and policymaker they tend to assist community arts groups and youth arts groups at national level also. These national organisations provide a national level focus for the community arts and youth arts group and the following are the organisations and their 1991 grants from the Arts Council.
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Organisation
|
Grant
|
|
£
|
|
Creative Activity for Everyone (CAFE)
|
19,000
|
|
National Association of Youth Drama
|
16,600
|
|
Youth Arts Committee of the National Youth Council of Ireland
|
22,000
|
The functions of the National Heritage Council, including their funding role, relate specifically to the physical heritage i.e. archaeology, architecture, flora, fauna, landscape, heritage gardens and certain inland waterways. Funds are offered on a once-off basis for specific projects or programmes.
Application to the National Heritage Council is open to individuals and organisations, whether private, public or voluntary.
Application forms are available from the Secretary, National Heritage Council, Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Dublin 2. Telephone No. 01-763546.
