Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Mar 2001

Vol. 532 No. 1

Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.

Denis Naughten

Question:

58 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the plans he has to reduce the disparity of funding under the sports capital programme between counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6626/01]

Austin Deasy

Question:

80 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation when he expects to be in a position to announce the next tranche of lottery funding; and if he will ensure that counties who received a lesser allocation in the last tranche are given a proportionately greater allocation to ensure that there is a fair distribution of the funds throughout the country. [6642/01]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 80 together.

The sports capital programme for 2001 was advertised in mid-December 2000 with a closing date of 9 February 2001 for the receipt of completed applications. In excess of 1,450 applications were received and these will be evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines which accompanied the application form. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.

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, while also affording the highest priority to projects in disadvantaged areas aimed at increasing participation, particularly for young people.

The sports capital programme provides funding for sporting facilities at national, regional and local level. The national and regional grants are allocated in respect of developments at GAA county grounds, Eircom League grounds, All-Ireland League rugby grounds, and national facilities such as the boxing stadium and Morton Stadium. Prior to deciding on the funding for national and regional facilities, my Department, in addition to normal assessment criteria, consults with the relevant national governing bodies, NGBs, of the organisations in question with a view to establishing their present and future priorities.

Where appropriate, my Department also consults with the Irish Sports Council, other Departments and with the local authorities in relation to their respective priorities for the provision of sporting facilities. In any particular year, the allocation of grants to national and regional facilities, arising particularly from the prioritisation established by the relevant governing bodies of the sports involved, can lead to some apparent distortion of county totals. However, I would expect that in the course of time, the distribution of such grants would be reasonably equitable.

Last year, for the first time, I introduced a new clause to the programme, by making a minimum of £200,000 available for allocation to each county, subject of course to the requirement that applications for funding from suitable projects, which meet my Department's criteria, have been submitted from each county. I believe this new approach has already, and will in the future, ensure a more equitable spread of funding between counties. There is no doubt that all counties have benefited tremendously from the increased funding I have secured for the sports capital programme. In 1999 I increased funding from £6 million to £20 million and in 2000 I allocated a total of £36 million under the programme to 679 projects throughout the country.

Question No. 59 answered with Question No. 51.