Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position of the programme for grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations; the number of applications received to date in 2009; the position of such applications; if funding is available to address such applications; if all of the funding allocated in 2008 has been drawn down; if not, the position of such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12675/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I would refer the Deputy to my replies to questions number 43 on 4th March and questions numbered 304, 305 and 306 on 10th March 2009 concerning the suspension of this Programme.

To date, nearly 500 applications have been received. Of these, around 250 have been either recommended for funding or found to be ineligible or incomplete. Six applications were withdrawn. The remaining projects are currently at different stages of the appraisal process. Going on experience thus far, I would expect that about three-quarters of these outstanding applications would be recommended for funding.

However, as I have previously outlined, it will not be possible to fund all successful applications given the current economic circumstances and the need to prioritise funding for other areas of activity. Of the €9 million provided for the programme 2008, some €4.2 million was drawn down by projects and to meet the costs of administration. Outstanding commitments to projects at year-end amounted to nearly €2.5 million. The Deputy will appreciate that organisations draw funding over a period of months depending on progress on the delivery of a particular project. Any funds not drawn down are used to meet the cost of other organisations awarded allocations under the Programmes.