Vol. 513 No. 5
25 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the extent to which he will commemorate the millennium in 2000 by way of extra funding from the proceeds of the National Lottery for the promotion of facilities in the sporting and recreational area, passive and active, indoor and outdoor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2850/00]
This Government has signalled its commitment to the provision of sport and recreational facilities throughout the country by increasing the provision for capital expenditure for this purpose, by 476%, from £8.5 million in 1997 to £49 million in the estimates for the year 2000. The increased provision for 2000, the largest since such provision was first made, includes a trebling in funding for the sports capital programme from the National Lottery from £5 mill ion in 1997 to £15.2 million in 2000; a fourfold increase in the provision for swimming pools from £3.5 million in 1997 to over £15 million in 2000; almost £6 million towards the development of Ireland's first ever 50 metre swimming pool and the final £6 million of £20 million support towards the development of Croke Park.
The 2000 sports capital programme was advertised in early December 1999 and the closing date for the receipt of application forms is 5 pm on Friday, 11 February 2000. It will be open to local community based projects and to national and regional projects to apply for funding under the programme.
