Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 May 1995

Vol. 453 No. 2

Written Answers. - National Lottery.

Mary Harney

Ceist:

48 Miss Harney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of organisations which applied for funding under the national lottery-funded cultural relations budget from his Department in 1994; the value of their applications; the organisations which were partly or wholly successful in their application; the purpose for which the allocation was made in each case; the criteria involved in assessing applications; and the way in which the availability of national lottery money is made known to prospective applicants. [9094/95]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

It has been the practice for many years that decisions on the disbursement of funds provided through the Department of Foreign Affairs for cultural relations and cultural activity abroad are made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the basis of recommendations from the Cultural Relations Committee, which is a voluntary advisory body of persons of distinction in the artistic and cultural fields.

The availability of support of this kind through my Department for cultural promotion abroad is widely known and applications for support received each year greatly exceed the resources available.

In recent years some funding for this purpose has come from the proceeds of the national lottery and some direct from the Exchequer.

In 1994, a total amount of £400,000 was provided for this purpose in the Estimates for my Department. Of this amount, the sum of £250,000, which appears under Subhead G1, came from the proceeds of the national lottery and £150,000, which appears under Subhead G2, came direct from the Exchequer.

In the year 1994 the Cultural Relations Committee received a total of 375 applications from individuals and organisations for support for various cultural activities abroad. On the recommendation of the committee, financial support was made available for some 265 of these projects. The total provided was £372,343.

The further, more detailed, information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the form requested. However, I am having it prepared and I will send it to the Deputy at the earliest opportunity. I will also place a copy in the Dáil Library.

Mary Harney

Ceist:

49 Miss Harney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the difference between the activities funded by his Department under sub-head G1, national lottery, and those funded under sub-head G2, Exchequer, of his Department's vote. [9095/95]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

Since 1988, funds from the national lottery have been allocated to my Department for the promotion of Irish cultural activities abroad. In 1994, the Exchequer supplemented the lottery allocation of £250,000 by £150,000, bringing the total allocation for cultural relations with other countries to £400,000. This year, the national lottery will contribute £220,000 and the Exchequer £180,000, leaving the total allocation unchanged over last year.

There is no difference between the activities funded under the G1 national lottery and G2 Exchequer sub-heads.