Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 5

Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

366 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will give positive consideration to making a special financial allocation further to his visit to Tolka Rovers Football and Sports Club and the many representations which he has received in respect of this long-established club, in order to ensure that the club will continue to provide much needed sporting opportunities for local children and in order to assist in its considerable fund-raising efforts over many years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25654/00]

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

Basically there are two programmes under the aegis of my Department through which financial assistance is provided for clubs towards the provision of sporting and recreational facilities, viz., the sport capital programme and the young people's facilities and services fund.

Under the sport capital programme, from which support was provided for the club a number of years ago in respect of the development of facilities, there is no provision whereby a grant can be provided in respect of work already completed.

The primary focus of the young people's facilities and services fund has been on local drugs task force areas where the heroin problem is most acute. In these areas, development groups, comprising representatives from the local drugs task force, local authority and VEC, were established to develop integrated plans on the basis of detailed guidelines approved by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion. These plans were considered by the national assessment committee, chaired by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, which evaluated them and made recommendations on their funding to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion. All funding earmarked for the local drugs task force areas under the current phase of the fund has been allocated.

In relation to the eligibility of the club in question for funding under the fund, the national assessment committee agreed in December last, on foot of a request from the development group in Finglas-Cabra, that a proposal submitted by the club at that time would be considered in the event of funding being decommitted from within the existing plan for the area. This would be on the basis that the development group itself prioritised the proposal for funding. This decision was conveyed to the development group at the time. To date, no proposal has been received from the development group for the decommitment of funding from within the existing plan.