GRANTS ranging from £100 to £15,000 have been made by the People in Need Trust to over 800 community and voluntary organisations around the State.
The grants make up almost all of the £3 million-plus raised in last year's People in Need Telethon. The next telethon will be in 1998 as it is held every second year.
The main categories aided were organisations providing services for people with disabilities, children, young people and the elderly.
Regionally, the largest allocation of £1.1 million went to the east; the smallest, of £145,000, to the north-west.
The chief executive of People in Need, Mr John Curry, said every county got back in grants the money raised in that county through the telethon.
The telethon has been running since 1988. Mr Curry said the trust talks to local health boards as well as its own local committees in deciding who should receive grants. Last year some 80 per cent of those who applied received grant aid averaging £3,300. The main focus in allocating money was for community self-help.
The main recipients of grants in each region were:
Eastern (Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow): The Housing Association for Integrated Living (£15,000).
The Irish Association for Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus, Dublin branch (£15,000).
St Mary's Hospital, Baldoyle (£15,000).
Teen Counselling (£15,000).
The Brabazon Trust (£15 000)
The MS Care Foundation (£15,000).
Midlands (Laois, Longford, Roscommon, Offaly, Westmeath). Farnagh Youth and Community Development (£10,000).
The Pillar Project Committee Lanesboro (£10,000).
Midwest (Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary):
Rural Resettlement Ireland Ltd, Kilbaha (£8,000).
Mount Mercy Day Centre, Limerick (£7,500).
ADAPT (£6,000).
North-east (Cavan, Louth, Meath, Monaghan):
Alzheimer Society of Ireland Meath Branch (£10,000).
Castleblayney Care Association (£10,000).
North-west (Donegal, Leitrim Sligo):
Parents & Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Leitrim (£12,000).
Fanad Care of the Aged (£8,000).
Southern (Cork, Kerry):
Magnet, Cork (£10,000).
Irish Guide Dogs Association (£9,000).
Cork Deaf Enterprises(£8,000). Edel House Good Shepherd Services (£8,000).
FLAME, Millstreet (£8,000).
Irish Kidney Association, Cork branch (£8,000).
Lavanagh Centre, Cork £8,000.
Meals on Wheels, Cork (£8,300). Midleton and District Day Care Centre (£8,000).
Mitchelstown Day Care Bus Committee (£8,000).
South-east (Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford):
Windmill Therapeutic Training Unit (£10,000).
Multiple Sclerosis Society, Dungarvan Branch (£7,000).
Western (Galway, Mayo):
Irish Society for Autism, Western Branch (£10,000).
St Brigid's Housing Association Ltd (£8,000).
St Hubert's, Castlebar (£8,000).
The smallest grant, of £100, went to Clara ICA Guild for the purchase of kitchen equipment for meetings of elderly persons.