Irish Language Agency

HL Deb 07 November 2002 vol 640 cc175-6WA

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any money has been paid directly to the Irish Language Agency, set up under the Belfast Agreement of 1998, by the Government of the Republic of Ireland since 1 January 2000; if so, how much; and why. [HL6081]

Lord Williams of Mostyn:

The Irish Language Agency is jointly funded from moneys voted by the Northern Ireland Assembly and Dail Eireann. Since 1 January 2000 the Government of the Republic of Ireland have made the following payments through the sponsor department, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (formerly the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands), to the Irish Language Agency:

Calendar year 2000 IR£ 5,875,945

Calendar year 2001 IR£ 9,838,274

Calendar year 2002 to date euro 10,987,500