Vol. 464 No. 5
93 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the number and the nature of the various grant schemes which he has approved in respect of his Department and its subordinate agencies; the schedule for these schemes; the objective of each such scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7932/96]
Details of my Department's three grant schemes are in the following schedule.
Farm Electrification Grant Scheme (FEGS) — the farm electrification grant scheme is designed to subsidise the installation of electricity to farms which previously had no supply or where supply is inadequate in order to facilitate the development and modernisation of farms in disadvantaged areas of the country. To qualify for the grant-aid, farming must be the applicant's main occupation and principal source of income and he/she must practice farming on land owned or held on long-term lease. The scheme is operated jointly by the Department and the ESB.
Energy Audit Grant Scheme (EAGC) — under this scheme, grants are provided to energy users in the industrial commercial and institutional sectors towards the cost of hiring consultants to conduct energy audits and to advise on the steps to be taken to improve energy efficiency. The Irish Energy Centre operates the scheme on behalf of the Department.
Energy Efficiency Investment Support Scheme (EEISS) — this scheme is designed to provide grant assistance to energy users in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors for investment in energy efficiency technologies. The Irish Energy Centre operates the scheme on behalf of the Department.
94 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the number and the nature of the various grant schemes which he has approved in respect of his Department and its subordinate agencies; the schedule for these schemes; the objective of each such scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7932/96]
My Department administers a funeral grants scheme under which a grant of £500 is payable towards the funeral expenses of deceased veterans of the War of Independence. There are also schemes, similar to those under social welfare legislation, for the provision of free travel, free electricity, free television licences and free telephone rental to veterans and to the spouses of deceased veterans.
In addition a scheme for the provision of grants to local authorities to recoup 70 per cent of their expenditure on civil defence is operated by my Department.
95 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Marine the number and the nature of the various grant schemes which he has approved in respect of his Department and its subordinate agencies; the schedule for these schemes; the objective of each such scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7932/96]
Most of the grant schemes for which my Department and agencies under its aegis are responsible are operated under various EU assisted programmes, measures and initiatives.
Apart from matters relating to such funding, the only schemes which I have approved are: a £400,000 aid package for Pacific oyster growers and rope mussel producers to assist growers to replace lost seed and productive capacity following heavy mortalities due to the unusually hot weather and high seawater temperatures experienced in the summer of 1995, and a subsidy scheme for the shipboard training of Irish marine cadets, at Cork Regional Technical College, to become merchant marine engineers and deck officers and ratings.
