Vol. 471 No. 7
182 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the reason a group (details supplied) in County Donegal has not received two instalments of a promised grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21525/96]
The group concerned is one of a number of groups receiving assistance for the first time under the scheme of grants for voluntary organisations providing marriage counselling services, which is administered by my Department. The first instalment of the grant was paid to the organisation concerned once it had been established to the satisfaction of those administering the scheme that the group satisfied the eligibility criteria, although the full amount payable had yet to be determined. This payment was made on 13 May 1996.
Of necessity, applications submitted by groups which are being grant aided for the first time require more extensive consideration than would otherwise be necessary in order to determine the full amount payable in each case, hence the lapse of time in making further payments to this and to other counselling organisations in a similar situation. Further payments under the scheme will be made soon to applicant organisations. These will include, in this group's case, the second and third instalment of their grant for 1996.
