Vol. 498 No. 6
67 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the annual and special grant or allocation which is or has been made available to the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation over the past four years; his views on the work of the centre; his views on its future role; the funding, if any, he has or will make available to enable the centre to carry on its good work in view of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28214/98]
The participants in the peace process recognised in the British-Irish Agreement the value of the work being done by organisations, such as the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, to develop reconciliation and mutual understanding and respect between and within communities and traditions, in Northern Ireland and between North and South.
The Department's Peace and Reconciliation Fund was established in 1982 to assist organisations involved in reconciliation work and in developing a better understanding between people in both parts of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain. Since its establishment, it has funded a variety of organisations which are working in the field of reconciliation, primarily between North and South but also those involved in Anglo-Irish reconciliation.
The Glencree Centre for Reconciliation has consistently been one of the largest beneficiaries from the fund, in the years 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 the allocations to Glencree were £95,000, £50,000, £50,000 and £60,000, respectively. The £95,000 allocation in 1995 was a once-off capital grant to help the centre with its building programme.
