Vol. 491 No. 4
23 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the outcome of discussions between his Department and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs regarding grant aiding the support services for bereaved families caused by fishing and marine tragedies; his views on whether this organisation is worthy of appropriate funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12314/98]
I would like to assure the Deputy that I fully support the establishment of the group, LOST (Loved Ones of Sea Tragedies), which has been set up to provide support services for families who have been bereaved due to a marine tragedy. While my Department has no role in providing funding for such a service, I am confident that An Bord Iascaigh Mhara will shortly secure agreement from the European Commission to the inclusion of a grant towards the establishment costs for this service under BIM's small scale coastal fisheries programme, 1998-99.
In the meantime, I have recently been in contact with my colleague, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs requesting that urgent and positive consideration be given by him to an application by the support group for funding under the community grant schemes run by his Department. I believe that the provision of such grant aid would be most appropriately made by that Department and would help to ensure that this very worthy organisation may start off on a sound financial footing and that the effectiveness of its service can be maximised. The recent report of the Commission on the Family recommended that the family affairs unit of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs should have responsibility for bereavement counselling through its grant schemes.
