On Tuesday last, I informed the House that the projects to receive funding under the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act, 1988, had been agreed. This followed an assessment process undertaken by an interdepartmental committee which was established to evaluate all the proposals submitted.
The Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act, 1988, provides for the acceptance and disposal, on behalf of the Irish Government, of money received from the trust. The Act provides that the money be disposed of for the purposes of projects or undertakings, including the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, involving co-operation between the State and Northern Ireland or the State and Britain or relating to the island of Ireland as a whole.
In November last year, my Department placed advertisements in the national press, the Northern Irish newspapers and the Irish Post in Britain, inviting applications for funding in respect of projects which would promote mutual understanding and reconciliation between Britain and Ireland or between the State and Northern Ireland; sustain and develop ventures and/or activities on an island of Ireland basis or relating to the island of Ireland or promote the welfare of the Irish community in Britain.
In assessing submissions, priority was given to organisations which would have difficulty obtaining commercial sponsorship or where the organisation or proposal would not normally or readily be funded by other Departments, statutory agencies or other public authorities, by reference to functions discharged or services provided. Furthermore, because of the relative availability of funding from other sources for North-South co-operation, priority was accorded to projects or undertakings between the State and Britain and relating to the island of Ireland as a whole.
All 175 submissions received were considered on the merits of their proposals and none, regardless of their funding structure, were precluded from consideration. The task of assessing the submissions was difficult. I am satisfied with the assessment committee's recommendations and I am happy that we are now in a position to provide much needed assistance to 59 worthwhile projects.