Vol. 510 No. 1
148 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the criteria used to allocate moneys on a pilot basis for the Anna Livia opera project; the amount involved; the conditions imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21968/99]
In the context of the 1999 budget, the Minister for Finance announced an allocation of £300,000 for 1999 for the Anna Livia Opera Festival. This funding was provided to my Department in 1999 and procedures were to be put in place for the issuing of the grant.
The grant is issued in instalments by my Department in accordance with standard public financial procedures. These include the submission of cash flow statements demonstrating that the funding is required to meet expected expenditure, copies of bank statements of the company and that the company has either a tax clearance certificate or has charitable status from the Revenue Commissioners. The audited accounts are also to be submitted to my Department when available.
A new company has been incorporated, The Anna Livia International Opera Festival Company Limited, to oversee and manage the festival. The company has received charitable status from the Revenue Commissioners. The project aims at establishing an International Opera Festival with an emphasis on Irish people being given the opportunity of learning and performing in their own capital city side by side with international artists.
