Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 22 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 4

Adjournment Debate - Sports Capital Programme.

Mr. D. Carey

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. I raise it particularly because about this time last year, when funds were allocated, the editors of local newspapers carried out surveys which seemed to indicate an imbalance in the allocation of capital grants for sporting facilities up and down the west coast in particular. They reported that it could not even be said that there was equity in the per head of population allocation of these capital grants. I am anxious that criteria be established or for the Minister to say that at least one capital project in each Dáil constituency will be approved each year. I would like the Minister to give an indication of what criteria he expects to use in allocating funds for sports facilities.

In County Clare there are still parishes in need of good sports fields, halls and recreational facilities. These are vital community projects. In the most western peninsula, Carrigaholt, Kilbaha and the area called Corca Baiscín have applied for additional funding to help them complete their community field. This asset will be most valuable to the community, for the locals, but also to improve the quality of tourism facilities available to families visiting the area.

I want to see flexibility and a bias towards rural clubs and remote rural areas that need additional funding to develop facilities in their area so that they can attract additional income where farm incomes are falling and where people are tending to migrate. A new field and new facilities give a great boost to an area. Where there is a quality pitch and quality advice given, it is better still.

I understood the Department was devising a strategy and plan for sporting facilities which would be transparent. In recent times the application form has changed and additional information is sought. However, it gives no impetus to rural policy. The Government's policy in this area is not clearly illustrated. The last allocation of funds was no different to the allocations given by the Government of which I was a member. There has to be a change of attitude.

Outdoor recreation is one of the greatest assets we can offer. We cannot offer sunshine. When the Minister invited ladies to play golf in Letterkenny the facilities were not up to standard. However, it was good for the economy of Letterkenny and the Minister's image certainly improved.

The Minister has to look at seriously at the allocation of such strategic funds. I appeal to him to publish a plan for the creation of capital grants for western and other rural areas. There has to be a bias. In the absence of a tax relief system for sporting events, remote areas have no real opportunity to raise funds. I want to impress on the Minister that there is a need for funds. I do not want to have to come in here in a year's time to say that Clare got only a miserly amount even though it has three Fianna Fáil Deputies, one a Minister. I appeal to the Minister to publish a plan so that the voluntary sector, people who give their time to looking after communities, will be able to apply with confidence for aid and get it.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

I am grateful to Deputy Carey for raising this matter on the Adjournment as it gives me an opportunity to put on record again the Government's commitment to the development of sport and recreation.

This Government has signalled its commitment to the development of sport and recreational facilities and I am proud to say that I have in 2000 secured a trebling in the funding for the sports capital programme from £5 million in 1997 to over £15 million this year. This huge increase, taken with the fourfold increase in the provision for the swimming pool programme from £3 million to £15 million, and almost £6 million towards the development of Ireland's first 50 metre swimming pool is testimony to the Government's commitment to and its acknowledgement of the role which sport and recreation plays in our country. Under the 1999 sports capital programme, I allocated £20 million to 400 projects throughout the country.

The 2000 sports capital programme was advertised in early December 1999 and the closing date for the receipt of applications was Friday, 11 February 2000. Over 1,600 applications were received and the initial processing of these has now been completed. All the applications received will be evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria which are outlined in the guidelines which accompanied the application form. Those are the criteria Deputy Carey asked for. The assessment criteria were recommended following a review of the sports capital programme carried out by my Department in 1998. I hope to be in a position to announce the 2000 round of grant allocations by June next. There are 13 assessment criteria under which the applications are evaluated, a copy of which the Deputy has.

While all applications will be treated on their merits, the highest priority will be afforded to projects in disadvantaged areas aimed at increasing participation particularly for young people. Those projects where the main purpose is to provide a facility which enables people to take part in sport and recreational sport or to raise standards of performance will also be accorded high priority. Such projects will include, for example, playing facilities, changing accommodation, essential sports and maintenance equipment and training facilities. Lower priority projects will include those which are not essential or integral to sports participation or performance, for example, landscaping of grounds, boundary fences and equipment stores.

A scoring system has been developed under which individual applications are scored between zero and five under each heading, depending on the extent to which they have met the assessment criteria. Different weightings from one to four are attached to the various criteria, depending on their importance. The highest weighting is given to the disadvantage criteria, given that special priority is being given to the development of facilities in disadvantaged areas. At the end of this process each application receives a score which decides its order of priority in its county. Comparisons between the scores for applications in respect of projects from individual counties show that in some counties a lower overall threshold applies than in others, primarily because of the differing weightings attributed to various assessment criteria, for example, whether the county had disadvantaged status.

Overall outstanding commitments under the programme at the end of 1999 amounted to the phenomenal figure of approximately £29.5 million. These commitments existed between the previous and current Governments. These commitments must be met in 2000 and subsequent years on satisfactory completion of projects in accordance with the terms and conditions of the programme. The budget for the programme in 2000 is £15.2 million.

As I announced at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis, my aim will be to make a minimum of £200,000 available this year to each county. This is with the vital proviso that suitable projects which meet my Department's criteria have been put forward. I stress that this allocation cannot be regarded as automatic. The projects must measure up to assessment on their merits, but this new approach will go a long way towards providing a more even-handed spread of funding between counties and will encourage sports activity in smaller centres.

I am satisfied that I have embarked on the most ambitious sports capital programme ever in the history of the State which will result in our sporting infrastructure being dramatically improved through supporting the many voluntary organisations throughout the country in responding to the increasing demands for the provision of facilities.

The Deputy mentioned golf in the Letterkenny area. In my capacity as the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation I have tried to bring as many tournaments to the west coast as possible. There were events in Ballybunion, east Clare, Galway and Letterkenny. No golfing tournaments were held on the west coast previously. It was lucky there was one in Galway, otherwise, Pádraig Harrington would not have qualified for the Ryder Cup.

I tried to get as much money as possible spent last year. I prioritised projects which were ready to go. I indicated that they had to be ready to proceed and if there was a digger on the site, they were almost assured of getting funds. However, despite that prioritisation, it was still necessary to hand back £8 million to the Department of Finance.

We are trying to deal with projects whose criteria have been assessed and are ready to proceed. The local funding aspect is vital because it shows an intention to go ahead. Under the per capita system used previously, smaller counties did not receive adequate funding. Consequently, this year, I will allocate a minimum of £200,000 to each county because some counties previously only received £50,000 or £60,000 on a per capita basis.