Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 3

Written Answers. - Sports Funding.

Theresa Ahearn

Question:

25 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the funding available by his Department for each of the years 1998 and 1999 towards assisting athletes with disabilities to compete at home and internationally. [11676/99]

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

My Department currently provides funding to six disability sports organisations having regard to recommendations by the Irish Sports Council. The council's recommendations are based on a close and detailed evaluation of each organisation's application and are made having regard to the criteria for grant approval outlined in my Department's section 15 and 16 reference book prepared under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997. In 1998 a total of £490,475 was allocated to the following organisations:

	£
Irish Wheelchair Association	193,323
Special Olympics	155,105
Cerebral Palsy	50,592
Irish Blind Sports Association	49,225
Irish Deaf Sports Association	27,230
Irish Paralympic Council	15,000

This total allocation of £490,475 includes a sum of £110,000 which was provided to 25 athletes with a disability under the 1998 international carding scheme.

In relation to 1999, as the allocations to national governing bodies of sport under the international carding scheme in respect of their high performance athletes have still to be finalised, comparable figures with the 1998 amounts listed above will not be available until then.