Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the total number of applications for grant aid or other assistance received by him from groups or persons based in County Kildare in the past 12 months to date; the extent to which he has responded positively or intends to do so to such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46444/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the total number of applications for grant aid received in his Department under the various headings in the past 12 months; the extent to which he has met such requirements over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46445/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 360 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department operates a range of grant programmes and schemes, details of which are available on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie. Some of the schemes are administered directly by my Department, while others are administered on its behalf by various intermediary bodies and groups, where applications for funding are submitted directly to the bodies/groups in question.

In relation to applications administered directly by my Department, the details requested by the Deputy in relation to such applications from groups/persons in County Kildare over the past year are reflected in the table below. All of the applications in question were approved.

It may be noted that funding under the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 is provided through integrated local development companies and all applications for funding are handled directly by those companies. A total of €12.28 million is available for rural development purposes in County Kildare over the lifetime of the programme. Similarly, applications for local drugs projects are made through the Local and Regional Drug Task Forces, and funding is allocated directly by the Task Forces to projects on the basis of priorities for individual areas, having regard to the funding available.

In relation to the Deputy's request for details regarding all applications for grant aid received by my Department over the past twelve months, I do not consider it feasible to provide such information as the volume of work involved and resources required would far outweigh the potential benefits that would accrue from its compilation. If, however, the Deputy has a specific query in regard to a particular scheme or application, I would be happy to provide him with the relevant information.