Over the years sport and recreational grants have been awarded on the basis of the merit of the applications submitted in meeting the criteria laid out under the guidelines, terms and conditions of the various schemes.
In the assessment of the applications and the allocation of the grants every effort is made to achieve a balanced geographical spread of funds to benefit all types of eligible projects in all categories. Over the lifetime of this scheme it is obvious that all sectors and areas of the sports and recreation sectors have benefited greatly through the programme funding, especially as a result of the 350% increase in capital funding for the provision of sport and recreational facilities since I took office.
This year, in order to further ensure a more even spread of funding throughout the country, under my Department's sports capital programme, I have adopted a policy of allocating a minimum of £200,000 per county.
Early last year, my Department commissioned ILAM (Ireland), a consultancy firm specialising in sports facilities, to prepare a report on the condition of local authority pools built between 1966 and 1981. Thirty pools spread around the country were identified as being in need of refurbishment. I then secured a £45 million funding package for the swimming pool programme for the period 2000-02, an annual increase in the budget from £3 million to £15 million over these years.
Under the swimming pool programme grants of up to £3 million are available towards both the refurbishment of existing pools and the provision of new pools, subject in both cases to the total grant not exceeding 80% of the eligible cost of the project or, in the case of projects located in designated disadvantaged areas, 90% of the eligible cost. Support is available towards the swimming pool, toddler pool, sauna and steam room and ancillary accommodation that relates directly to the swimming pool. There are four stages in the approval process for a swimming pool project and my Department gives prompt consideration to progressing each proposal to the next stage, in the context of funding available.
My Department has also committed a grant of just under £6 million towards the construction of a 50 metre swimming pool at Limerick University. Construction is progressing and the pool is scheduled for completion next year. The Government has more recently approved proceeding with development of an aqautic and leisure centre at the Campus and Stadium Ireland site at Abbotstown, work on which is expected to commence in mid 2001.