Vol. 574 No. 3
192 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if projects applying to the sports capital programme whose management and client group are based in disadvantaged areas of Dublin but whose operating centre is based outside the Dublin region, for example holiday centres and development centres, will be regarded as Dublin projects for the purposes of assessment for funding. [26968/03]
The national lottery-funded sports capital programme allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is run on an annual basis. All allocations under the 2003 programme have been made.
My Department continues to evaluate how best to provide for the needs of disadvantaged areas in terms of providing sporting and recreational facilities and increasing participation under the programme. For the 2003 programme, at the initiative of my Department and in consultation with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Area Development Management, ADM, the agency with responsibility for the administration of RAPID, it was decided that only those areas that have been designated by Government for special support through the schemes administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, i.e. namely RAPID 1, RAPID 2, local drugs task force areas and Clár should be treated as disadvantaged areas.
I intend to advertise the 2004 sports capital programme before the end of this year. My Department is already involved in consultations with ADM and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs regarding the prioritisation of sporting and recreational facility requirements in disadvantaged areas under the programme. In these consultations the matter referred to by the Deputy will be considered.
