Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 714: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of grants given by his Department to voluntary and community groups in County Louth; the amount sought by each applicant; the number of unsuccessful applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24310/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department assists and encourages long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through measures administered by the Department's employment support service. Facilitators, based in social welfare local offices, can provide additional support to the more marginalised groups in the community, through the special projects fund. The groups who need special help of this nature include the long-term ill and people with disabilities, the very long-term unemployed, Travellers, people with literacy difficulties and lone parents.

To date in 2005, one group in County Louth received funding of €1,369 from the special projects fund. This was for a computer training programme for the very long-term unemployed.

In addition to the special projects fund, funding is also available by way of the family services project, FSP, which provides an enhanced programme of support mainly for young lone parents, parents rearing children without the support of a partner, dependent spouses on social welfare payments in households with children, carers and families of people with disabilities. One project received €85,000 for a parents in education programme for lone parent families in the north-east region, including County Louth, in 2005. There were no funding applications from groups in County Louth disallowed in the year to date under either the special projects fund or the family services project.

The family support agency also administers a scheme of grants to voluntary organisations providing marriage, child and bereavement counselling. The table shows the groups that received funding this year under this scheme of grants.

There were no unsuccessful applications from groups in County Louth under this scheme.