Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 91 together.

I wish to clarify for the House that the National Women's Council of Ireland is wholly independent of my Department. However, my Department will make up to €350,000 available to the council towards its core funding and to deliver a programme of activities in 2012. This represents a decrease of 35% on the Department's provision in 2011 and reflects the need to achieve savings of €100 million in the justice group of Votes. Funding for the council comes from a number of sources, not only from the Department but also from the HSE and subscriptions from member and philanthropic organisations. I understand from the council that it received Exchequer funding of €571,000 in 2011, of which €528,000 came from the Department. The council has been very successful in accessing funding for special projects from a number of philanthropic organisations and other sources.

The council is undertaking a gender mainstreaming project on behalf of the HSE for which it is receiving €130,000 in the two year period 2011-12. Atlantic Philanthropies has awarded €770,000 to the council for two projects beginning in early 2012. The first project, for which more than €560,000 was received, will run for a period of three years, while the second, for which €190,000 was received, will run for a period of a year and a half. These projects are contemporaneous. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust has also awarded financial support of almost €130,000 to the council for another special project which will run for two years and which began in September 2011. The Peace 3 programme is also funding a project being delivered at a cost of over €57,000. With the exception of the Peace 3 project, all other projects will make a contribution to the core costs of the council, totalling over €85,000 in 2012.

As a membership organisation, the council also receives contributions from its constituent members which number about 166. This membership income fluctuates but typically exceeds €25,000 per annum.

In setting priorities for expenditure in the Department this year I decided that I would favour those organisations providing services over those providing, in the main, advocacy or research services. Implementation of this decision has meant some difficult choices, involving in certain cases the complete elimination of funding altogether and the closure of some projects.

Accompanied by officials from my Department, I met the chairperson and CEO of the council on 19 January to discuss the matter, following on correspondence with the CEO after the budget announcement. During the course of the meeting I emphasised my continued support and that of the Government for the council and my belief the council could continue to play a key role in achieving positive changes in the area of women's rights and equality. I was subsequently advised that the CEO did not feel able to continue in her post as, in her view, the €350,000 provided by the Department for this year made it impossible for her to do her job properly. The executive board of the council has appointed an acting CEO.

I have every confidence, as I said, that the council will continue to play a key role in promoting women's rights and equality and that the working relationship between the Department and the council will be maintained. It is worth noting that the council has available to it very substantial sums for 2012, with further guaranteed sums for 2013, from philanthropic organisation and also has available to it moneys for its activities which, overall, substantially exceed the moneys that may have been available to it for many years in the past.

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