Vol. 514 No. 4
2 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the work of the National Millennium Committee; the amount spent by the committee in terms of direct expenditure and grants or payments made to groups or organisations; the amount of funds, if any, unspent; the way in which it is intended to apply these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1436/00]
3 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the work of the National Millennium Committee. [3303/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
The National Millennium Committee was set up to advise the Government on projects for inclusion in its millennium programme. A total fund of £30 million was allocated to this programme, covering the period 1999 and 2000. Following a national advertising campaign, more than 2000 proposals have been submitted to the committee for consideration. Over the past 12 months the committee has considered the proposals received and has made recommendations on projects to the Government on a regular basis. The recommendations of the committee reflect particular themes, for example, children, youth, and the elderly, the environment and the celebration of Christianity. In addition the committee has also endeavoured to ensure a wide geographic spread of projects.
To date the millennium committee has made recommendations on projects amounting to nearly £29 million. This figure includes £3 million for 193 locally based projects around the country under the millennium recognition awards, an initiative administered by Area Development Management Ltd. It also includes £3 million for 1,959 millennium events awards, administered by local authorities. To date just over £6.4 million has been drawn down in respect of the millennium programme.
The National Millennium Committee is supported by a small millennium office, the operational budget of which is included in the overall millennium fund.
At this stage millennium funding is almost fully committed. The National Millennium Committee is now in the process of finalising consideration of outstanding projects with a view to allocating the remaining funds available. The committee is approaching this final task with due regard to ensure a broad thematic and geographic spread, consistent with its previous recommendations to the Government.
There has been enormous public interest in the work of the millennium committee and in the projects it is selecting for support and endorsement. One clear indication of the level of interest being shown is the numbers who have accessed the official website of the millennium committee. Since August 1999, when the website went on line, until 12 February 2000, there had been 745,654 "hits" on the site.
While up to £29 million has been allocated, previous experience suggests that not all of that money will be drawn down because the sponsors of some projects will be unable to produce the matching funds. Will the Minister of State give an undertaking that the balance of money not drawn down, as determined within a reasonable period of time, will be reallocated to other millennium projects? I make a specific representation on behalf of the labour movement which sought and received £250,000 for the refur bishment and development of Liberty Hall as the sole physical manifestation of the labour movement, one of the key social partners in the structure of the State. Where there is a shortfall because of escalating costs, I request that a matching sum of another £250,000, assuming that the money is not drawn down, will be made available for the project.
If projects cannot use the money, those funds will be available for other millennium projects within the envelope of what is available. I will convey the Deputy's recommendations to the National Millennium Committee. The committee had no difficulty with supporting the Liberty Hall project. It would like to have supported it to a greater extent.
Many of the capital projects are only starting. We are funding bridges, forestry, community and church projects, floodlighting, lighthouses and the Battle of the Boyne site. All of those projects are starting now and I expect the money to be drawn down quickly. The flagship projects were the millennium forest, our proposal to plant 1.2 million native trees, the children's hour, to which we allocated £2 million and the light ceremony, which was a magnificent success throughout the State.
I agree.
The development of the Battle of the Boyne site was given impetus by our securing the purchase of the land and allocating £0.5 million. The final flagship project was the grant of £0.5 million to the Irish Landmark Trust which would restore the lighthouse keepers' cottages at five of Ireland's most beautiful headlands.
We allocated £9.5 million to capital projects, £7 million to social projects, £6 million to community projects, £3.8 million to arts and education projects, £2 million to church projects, £2 million to exile projects and £2 million to celebratory projects. There were 2,000 proposals.
