363 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the assistance given to an institution (details supplied) in County Mayo since its inception; if his Department has an ongoing involvement in running the centre; the legal attachment of his Department with the centre; if appointees of his Department serve on a board of directors or other committee with a similar function; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11619/02]

The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: Revenue funding of €127,000 in 2000, €25,400 in 2001 and €102,000 in 2002 has been made available by my Department, via the Western Health Board, to assist towards the running costs of the centre referred to by the Deputy, on the basis that services provided at the centre meet an agreed need. This means the total revenue funding available in the current year is €254,400. In addition, a once-off grant of €195,500 was made available in 1999 to help towards equipping costs while a grant of €127,000 was paid in 2001, from discretionary lottery funds, for a range of additional facilities.

My Department has no ongoing involvement in running the centre, has no legal attachment to the centre nor is it represented on the board of directors or management committee. The question has been raised as to whether this centre should be registered under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, and I understand that the legal situation in relation to this is being examined by the Western Health Board at present.