Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 8 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Funding.

David Stanton

Ceist:

144 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the relationship between his Department and an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork; the resources, if any, his Department has made available to the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26384/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The organisation referred to in the question is funded by my Department as the southern regional support agency for projects funded under community development and family and community services resource centre programmes.

As a support agency, the organisation is responsible for the provision of support and advice for local community development projects. It is also responsible for the promotion of good practice and the setting of standards for the work of the projects. It has been contracted to carry out the necessary pre-development work in the areas which have been targeted for the expansion of both the community development and family and community resource centre programme, to bring them to contract stage.

Under the current three year contract with the Department, 1998-2000, the group was allocated funding of £60,000 for 1998 and £100,922 for 1999. The increase in the budget for this year is due to the fact that the organisation has undertaken preliminary start-up work to establish five new projects in the region and to provide support for existing projects under the family and community resource centre programme.