The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, administered by my Department provides financial assistance to organisations, including national governing bodies of sport such as the Irish Underwater Council, for the provision of sporting and recreational facilities. The programme is advertised annually and applications for funding from clubs-organisations have to be made on an individual basis.
The Sports Capital Programme for 2002 was advertised on 25 and 26 November 2001 with a closing date of 4 January 2002 for the receipt of completed applications. Allocations under this year's programme were recently announced. In excess of 1,350 applications were received before the closing date. While an application was submitted by the Irish Underwater Council to the 2002 Sports Capital Programme, it was not in relation to the provision of a hyperbaric chamber and did not make any reference to any such facility.
It is expected that the 2003 sports capital programme will be advertised towards the end of the year and at that stage it will be again open to all sports organisations to submit applications for funding towards their projects.
