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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Millennium Projects.

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

138 Mr. Haughey asked the Taoiseach the financial allocations made to date for millennium projects and plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17631/99]

The following is a list of projects which have been recommended by the national millennium committee and approved by the Government for inclusion in its millennium programme 1999-2000:

£,000's

Millennium Festivals Ltd.

1,000

Millennium Recognition Awards

2,000

Mile Átha Cliath

2,000

Millennium Book

80

Irish World Heritage Centre, Manchester

1,000

Cork Corporation – Banks of the Lee Project

500

Lighting of the Cork Bridges

300

Cork Opera House

450

SHARE, Cork

750

Gaiety Theatre, Dublin

500

Municipal Gallery, Dublin

300

Green Town 2000 (D/Environment/Tidy Towns)

150

Millennium Last Lights Ceremony

500

Dublin/Belfast Ecumencial Service

35

RTE Educational CD-ROM for Schools

150

Irish Landmark Trust

500

Exhibitions of Christians Architecture

73

Pilgrims Paths

50

Cinemobile 2000

531

Millennium Cottage, Barretstown

150

Messiah XXI

700

Millennium Events Awards

3,000

Total

16,719

The work of the millennium committee is ongoing and I expect it to recommend further projects to the Government shortly.

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

139 Mr. Haughey asked the Taoiseach the plans, if any, he has to erect a statue to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17706/99]

The Christian celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ is one of the key themes adopted by the national millennium committee.

In this regard, there is regular contact with the members of the special religious liaison group which represents the main churches and religious denominations. In addition, I have had meetings with senior church figures representing the main Christian churches to discuss their plans for celebrating the millennium and to seek their views on the most appropriate way that the millennium committee might be of assistance.

In response the churches have identified a number of projects for which they have sought the support of the millennium committee. The committee has recently considered these projects and will be making recommendations to the Government on them in due course.

The matter of the petition proposing that there should be a statute to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ has been raised in the context of ongoing contacts with the main churches and I expect to have further discussions on the matter.

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