Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - CÁIT Programme.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

1614 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when funding under the CÁIT initiative will be announced; the overall amount of money available under the scheme; and the number of applicants who have applied. [15882/02]

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Éamon Ó Cuív):

The CÁIT initiative provides citizens excluded from the benefits that information and communications technologies can bring to our daily lives with opportunities to engage in a meaningful way with the new technologies.

Up to €5.171 million is available to fund the two CÁIT programmes in 2002 and this figure includes the administration costs of the scheme in addition to the funding available to 121 projects. Over 450 applications for funding were received under the first CÁIT programme and allocations were made to 71 groups. The CÁIT I programme provides funding to the projects over 18 months from June 2001 until January 2003.

A second call for proposals under the CÁIT initiative was announced on 28 February 2002. Some 212 applications for funding under the second CÁIT programme have been submitted and funding has been committed to 50 groups, whose applications were submitted last March and April. A total of €7,344,511 has been committed to projects under the CÁIT I and CÁIT II programmes during 2001 and 2002.