Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 14 Dec 2000

Vol. 528 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Castle Saunderson Campsite Funding.

Mr. Crawford

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this important issue.

The aim of Scoutlink and the project development team is to provide a permanent jamboree for peace and reconciliation at the Castle Saunderson site along the Cavan Fermanagh border, which is adjacent to the Belfast-Galway road between Clones and Cavan town. Scoutlink is an umbrella group formed to fund and manage this major project, bringing together the three scouting bodies operating on the island of Ireland: Scouting Ireland, CSI; Scouting Ireland, SAI; and the Northern Ireland Scouting Council. These bodies have a total membership of approximately 55,000. That number, together with leaders, trainee leaders and helpers could run to 70,000.

No other project will encompass so many young people taking part in activity. This is truly a millennium peace project with young people from every part of this island taking part. This means that people of all religions and none can meet and enjoy each other's company. Scouting associations also seek in every way to support those young people with disabilities.

In 1993, in the midlands of Ireland, 8,000 scouts from 25 countries took part in an international jamboree. Imagine the potential of Castle Saunderson to bring tourism and spin-off jobs to this Border region through this type of international involvement. The restoration of the castle and church is surely a heritage project so this means a number of Ministers must be involved to cover tourism, heritage, youth and education.

The Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance must lead this project as no other project can so truly be classified as a cross-Border youth related peace project. This site can be used in the long-term for other groups such as the community games. It must be funded as a matter of urgency.

The scouting project team estimates the capital investment of £9.7 million is required to bring its proposals to full fruition and it can be covered in five phases. When fully operational it will need £875,000 in annual costs and it is estimated that it will produce annual revenue of more than £1 million. Funding has already been raised in the United States and there is opportunity for private donors, statutory bodies and investment funding agencies. It will foster peace and reconciliation among scouts and non-scouts alike. If other bodies, such as community games are to use the site, it will become a much larger project and more beneficial to the area.

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation must pull together the different Departments and make sure no stone is left unturned in funding this project. The Taoiseach and Minister for Finance must make sure funds are committed. Funding should not be left to INTERREG lll and Peace and Reconciliation 2000-2004, as suggested by the Minister for Finance in a reply to a parliamentary question.

The aim of the Castle Saunderson project is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full potential, physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually as individuals, responsible citizens and members of local, national and international communities; to provide a permanent jamboree campsite for local, national and international scouts; to serve as a centre for cross-community dialogue which will lead to reconciliation; and to serve as a focal point, due to its unique location on the border between Cavan and Fermanagh, to facilitate the sharing of resources among scouting organisations and youth associations throughout Ireland.

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation is in the prime position to spearhead this major project. I look forward to his support and assistance. I know the Leas-Cheann Comhairle appreciates what I am trying to do.

Mr. O'Dea

Minister McDaid thanks the Deputy for raising this issue and he shares his views that the energies and dedication of the scout movement should be supported whenever possible in the provision of a range of appropriate facilities. Minister McDaid understands submissions for funding have been made to a number of Ministers. Earlier today, in the company of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Dr. Rory O'Hanlon, the Minister met representatives of Scouting Ireland, CSI, the scouting group which is the driving force behind this ambitious project which, as the Deputy is aware, is to provide for a cross-Border cross-cultural activity centre for the youth of Ireland. Minister McDaid explained to them that as the project was of such magnitude and as some aspects of the proposed development impinged on a number of Departments, consideration of the application for funding would have to be addressed on a cross-departmental basis.

There are several programmes under which funding for the project could be considered.

Under the sports capital programme operated by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, grants are awarded to voluntary and community groups for the development of sporting and recreational facilities. For the 2001 sports capital programme, advertisements will be placed in all the national newspapers tomorrow inviting applications from any sports and recreational organisations for funding in the next round of the sports capital programme. The closing date for the 2001 sports capital programme will be Friday, 9 February at 5 p.m.

There is a new peace operational programme 2000-04, which replaces the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation which covered the period 1995 to 1999. The operational programme covers Northern Ireland and the Border region to the south consisting of counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Monaghan, Cavan and Louth.

Funding of 500 million has been committed by the EU to the programme and 20% of that funding is in respect of the Border region.

The new programme recognises that there is a continued need to promote actions which remove barriers to reconciliation and break down community divisions within both jurisdictions and between North and South. Much can be done by bringing together interests, groups or individuals who have been separated by the conflict for co-operative and joint actions.

North-South institutional arrangements developed under the Belfast Agreement are an important factor in the relationship between both parts of the island and the new programme is designed to underpin these positive developments. Specifically, the programme will support economic and social activities of similar nature on both sides of the Border and a minimum of 15% of total funding will be dedicated to joint North-South projects.

Proposals for a new peace programme were prepared jointly North and South earlier this year and submitted for consideration to the European Commission. The expectation is for development work on the programme to be finalised in early spring and to invite proposals for projects shortly thereafter.

As proposals stand, support for a range of cross-Border activities will be provided. Such activities will have to be provided jointly to attract funding from the programme. The areas of activities will include youth, sport, culture, business and economics, arts, social inclusion, public service provision and delivery and co-operation in the agricultural, rural development, fishery and tourism sectors.

The Minister for Finance has been approached and he explained in a recent parliamentary question that proposals for funding of a permanent jamboree campsite at the Castle Saunderson Estate in County Cavan for Scouting Ireland have been received and are currently being considered in the context of developing and promoting North-South relations. This consideration will explore the opportunities for funding the project under either of the two new EU supported pro grammesfor cross-Border co-operation, namely INTERREG III and the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 2000-2004. The Minister for Finance understands the authorities in Northern Ireland have not been approached with a request for similar funding.

The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Finance has been active in his support of the scouting associations in recent years. In 1999 he approved a capital grant of £400,000 to Scouting Ireland towards the cost of their new national headquarters.

Officials from the youth affairs section of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Reconciliation and I met the CSI on 28 June 2000 to discuss the Castle Saunderson project. The CSI organisation outlined their proposals for the estate and made a request for funding for the project. In the course of an extensive discussion on the project it was explained that there is no capital funding available to the youth affairs section of the Department which would enable the Department to make available a grant towards the extensive refurbishment programme involved.

Under the terms of the youth services grant scheme operated by the youth affairs section of the Department, grants-in-aid are provided on an annual basis to voluntary national and major regional youth organisations throughout the State. The aim of this is to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people. Such funding is intended only to help meet their day to day running costs and staff costs.

Scouting Ireland, CSI, currently receives funding under the scheme and in the four years 1998 to 2003 an amount of £1,015,408 was awarded to that organisation. In addition, the funding of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation towards the cost of Scouting Ireland, SAI, the other scouting body in the State, under the youth service grant scheme has amounted to £761,410 over the same period. Furthermore, the youth affairs section also funds the Federation of Irish Scouts Association, the organisation which represents both scouting organisations at international level.

This project will be considered for funding on a cross-departmental basis and, as the Minister explained to representatives of Scouting Ireland at today's meeting, he will be considering how best to have the application considered on that basis.