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Government To Give Extra €20 Million To George Mitchell Scholarship Fund

 

Updated : Aug 19, 2009

The Government plans to put an extra €20 million into the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund over the next number of years to secure the future of the prestigious programme, according to the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD.

Minister O’Keeffe has sent the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund (Amendment) Bill 2009 to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for formal drafting following a Government decision approving the general scheme of the Bill.

It’s expected the Bill will be published in the autumn.

Minister O’Keeffe said: ‘Since 1999, the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme has attracted 105 high-calibre students from US universities to study on a wide cross-section of postgraduate courses at universities on the island of Ireland, with a further 12 students due to start their studies in Ireland in the autumn.

‘Students have opted for a broad range of courses across the humanities and sciences in the seven universities here and in Queen’s University, Belfast, and the University of Ulster.

‘As well as the direct financial spin-off benefit to the Irish economy, these students are likely to later occupy positions of influence in the US, whether in politics, business or the professions.

‘I’d hope and expect that their study period in this country will create an enduring legacy of goodwill towards Ireland and significantly benefit this country in the future,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

He said the Irish Government’s intention is to make €20 million available for the prestigious scholarships over the next number of years.

This is on top of the Government’s IR£2 million contribution in 1999 when the programme was set up.

Since then, the cost of the scholarships has been met using this money, as well as funding from the British government and from private donors through the US-Ireland Alliance - the Virginia-based non-partisan, non-profit group that manages and controls the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme.

‘The forthcoming legislation will commit the Irish Government to providing up to €4 million annually over the next number of years provided matching funding can be raised from private donors by the US-Ireland Alliance,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

The US-Ireland Alliance set up the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme in 1999 to mark US Senator George Mitchell’s contribution to the peace process in the North.

Minister O’Keeffe said: ‘The Government’s decision to pursue amending legislation for the funding of the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme demonstrates our support for the development of Ireland’s special relationship with the US.

‘It ties in very well with the objectives of the strategic review of Ireland-US relations, “Ireland and America: Challenges and Opportunities in a New Context”, launched by the Government in March,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

 

 

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