Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 2

Written Answers - Sports Capital Programme.

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

122 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if any case studies exist here in relation to the construction in the past five years of multi-use sports and educational facilities where school facilities are used by the community or sporting organisations on a formal basis. [5691/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations and, in certain circumstances, schools and colleges, throughout the country. Projects must be directly related to the provision of sport and recreation facilities and be of a capital nature, which, for the purpose of the programme, is defined as: expenditure on the improvement or construction of an asset and includes any costs directly incurred in this process; and purchase of permanently based sports equipment, that is, it is securely housed, and will remain in use for five years or more.

Applications to the programme from schools and colleges must be made jointly with local sports clubs or community groups and must: provide for significant levels of usage by the local community during periods when the facilities are not being used by the school itself – at least 30 hours per week throughout the year; and demonstrate that the facilities concerned will meet an identified deficiency in that locality, as formally agreed with other local groups and-or the local authority.

The provision of facilities in this way in educational establishments is in keeping with the stated aims and objectives of the programme, which include: developing an integrated and planned approach to the development of sport and recreational facilities; assisting organisations with the development of appropriate facilities in appropriate locations that will maximise use in terms of participation in sport and recreation; and encouraging the multi-purpose use of facilities.

Since 1998, over €213 million has been allocated to more than 2,900 projects under the sports capital programme. In order to build on this substantial investment and to meet the ongoing demands of what is now a very complex and sophisticated sector, the Government intends to put in place a long-term strategic plan to ensure the development of sports facilities throughout the country.

The process, which will lead to meeting that commitment, has commenced with a review of the existing sports capital programme under the Department's expenditure review programme which will be followed by the preparation of a long-term strategy for the development of sporting facilities. It is envisaged that a national audit of local sports facilities will also be undertaken in tandem with the development of the long-term strategy.

An inter-agency steering group will be set up to devise this long-term strategy for the development of sports facilities. This group will include members from a number of Departments engaged in funding sport and recreational facilities, including the Department of Education and Science, and will examine further ways to ensure a strategic approach to facility provision.

While I am aware of very successful arrangements for the usage of school facilities by local communities throughout the country, I am not aware of any case studies relating to the matter raised by the Deputy.

Question No. 123 answered with Question No. 120.