Written answers

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Departmental Funding

9:00 pm

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 479: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support a matter (details supplied). [14473/10]

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 480: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support an organisation (details supplied) with funding in 2010. [14474/10]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 480 together.

The Government is fully committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement. Part of that was the setting up of a Scheme to disburse monies under a number of headings to victims of the Northern Ireland Conflict.

In 2003, the Government established the Remembrance Commission with a budget of up to €9m, of which €1.5m was allocated for victim support services. From 2003-2008 the Remembrance Commission operated a Scheme of Acknowledgement, Remembrance and Assistance for Victims in this Jurisdiction of the Conflict in Northern Ireland.

Under the Scheme, payments could be made to individuals under various categories such as acknowledgement payments, economic hardship payments and medical expenses payments. The Scheme also contained a provision to enable payments to be paid to groups offering support services to victims of the conflict. Under this element of the Scheme payments were made to the organisation to which the Deputy refers for the purpose of meeting the counselling and other needs of victims or their family members. During the period of operation of the Scheme this organisation received a total of €1.2m of the €1.5m allocated for victim support services and was the only recipient of money under this heading. The provision of these services, which were supportive and sensitive to the needs of victims, was made in the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. In addition the organisation had received over €890,000 from the Department of the Taoiseach in the period 2000-2003.

The term of appointment of the Remembrance Commission came to an end on 31 October 2008. Therefore, funding under the Scheme is no longer available. I took a decision, however, to grant further funding to the group totalling €190,300 to enable it to continue to operate while seeking to put alternative funding options in place.

As I have made clear, my first priority is to ensure that those victims who require ongoing medical treatment for injuries sustained in bombings and other incidents arising from the conflict in Northern Ireland will continue to be provided for. I have made special arrangements to have these costs provided by my Department through the Victims of Crime Office.

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 481: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if grant aid is available for the management and functioning of disability advocacy groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14685/10]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has no funding out of which moneys are generally available for disability advocacy groups. However, currently, my Department funds People with Disabilities in Ireland, which represents people with disabilities, their families and carers and aims to ensure that they have the opportunity to contribute to and influence policies and decisions that impact on their lives.

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