Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the fund from which the recent State visits were paid; if local authorities were allocated additional funds; if so, the amount of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14108/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Question refers to the recent visits to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth II and US President Barack Obama. No dedicated funding was provided by my Department in connection with these visits. In announcing funding for a new Civic Responsibility Week in April 2011, I emphasised, against the background of the Royal/Presidential visits which were to take place in the weeks which followed, the importance of ensuring that we present our country as a clean and green location in which to live, work and do business. Under the Civic Responsibility Week scheme, which ran from Monday 9 May to Sunday 15 May, local authorities were allocated a total of €350,000 from the Environment Fund to undertake activities to improve the appearance of their local environments, in conjunction with local business, residents and community groups. Individual allocations to local authorities under the scheme ranged from €5,000 to €20,000.