Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 November 2004
199 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the conditions which apply to the provision of grants towards public leisure centres; the number and location of applications being processed; the average length of time it takes to process an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27408/04]
View answerThe local authority swimming pool programme administered by my Department provides grant aid towards either the capital costs of new pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. The closing date for receipt of applications from local authorities under the current programme was 31 July 2000.
Overall, there are 55 projects in the programme. Of these, 14 swimming pool projects have been opened or have completed construction work. These are in Arklow, Courtown in Gorey, Dundalk, Ennis, Enniscorthy, Monaghan, Navan, Wicklow, Roscommon, the Aquadome in Tralee, Ballinasloe, Finglas in Dublin, Grove Island in Limerick and the Regional Sports and Leisure Centre in Tralee. Eight projects are at construction phase in Clonmel, Tuam, Churchfield in Cork City, Cobh, Youghal, Ballymun and Ballyfermot in Dublin, and Drogheda. In addition, 33 other applications are at various stages in the process, five are at tender stage, 13 at contract document stage and 15 at preliminary report stage. This includes those waiting on feasibility report approval. These 33 applications are for pool projects in Letterkenny, Jobstown and Clondalkin in South County Dublin, Monaghan Town, Killarney, Ballybunion, Naas, Athy, Portarlington, Portlaoise, Dunmanway, Askeaton, Thurles, Roscrea, Longford, Glenalbyn and Dundrum in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Skerries in Fingal, Tullamore, Edenderry, Clara, Birr, Claremorris, Castlebar, New Ross, Bray, Greystones, Kilkenny City, Ballaghadereen, Ballybofey, Buncrana, Loughrea and Ferrybank, in Wexford.
As there are many complex technical aspects involved in refurbishing, replacing or constructing a swimming pool on a greenfield site, the process from feasibility study to the completion of the project can take some years. A great amount of technical work by the local authorities is involved together with approval by my Department, supported by the Office of Public Works, at each stage of the development process. New pool proposals are expected to include attractive additional features such as saunas, steam room and toddler pools, thus providing better long-term value for money, including increasing potential for self-financing in operating costs, and greater benefit to local communities. The average cost of a standard pool facility, exclusive of gym or fitness facilities, has increased and the finalisation of the financial passage by local authorities, which are required to meet the balance of the cost of its project over my Department's grant of €3.8 million for a new pool, can contribute to some delay. There is also a recent and marked trend towards enhanced fitness and other sports facilities attached or adjacent to pools, with consequent implications for overall project costs.
The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, which is also administered by my Department, provides grant aid for the development of a sports and recreational sport facilities and is the primary means of developing the sporting infrastructure of the country. Applications under the sports capital programme are accepted from voluntary and community organisations, national governing bodies of sport, schools, colleges and local authorities. Over 10,500 applications have been received and 4,271 grants allocated under the programme since 1998. Projects grant-aided can include such facilities as natural and artificial playing surfaces, dressing room and showers, floodlighting, sports halls and sporting equipment. Applicants may also apply for funding for the so-called "dry" facilities which complement those available at swimming pools.
A key requirement of any project funded under the sport capital programme is that it provides for sporting activity. The loose definition of leisure centre is not used within my Department to categorise sports capital projects. Under the programme grants have been awarded to municipal or multi-sport projects, which refer to centres covering several different sporting activities usually administered and-or managed by local authorities or community organisations. Under the 2004 sports capital programme, a total of 1,304 applications were submitted from which 738 projects were provisionally allocated €61 million in funding. A total of 23 applications were in the category of municipal or multi-sport, of which 16 were provisionally allocated €8,210,000 in funding. These were as follows:
|
€ |
|
|
Athboy Social Needs & Recreational Co. Ltd |
300,000 |
|
Birr Development Company Limited |
300,000 |
|
City of Dublin YMCA |
250,000 |
|
Dublin City Council — Irishtown Stadium |
350,000 |
|
DCC — Le Fanu Park |
1,000,000 |
|
DCC — O’Devaney Gardens Sports and Community Centre |
700,000 |
|
DLRCC — Dundrum Family Recreation Centre |
120,000 |
|
DLRCC — Monkstown Pool & Fitness Centre |
400,000 |
|
Dundalk Town Council — Muirhevnamor Park |
350,000 |
|
Duneske Leisure Limited, Cahir |
300,000 |
|
Ennis Town Council — Lees Road Centre |
700,000 |
|
Killarney Town Council — Sports & Leisure Centre |
1,500,000 |
|
Scanlon Park, Kilkenny |
90,000 |
|
Thurles Community Sports Campus Project |
350,000 |
|
Trim Area Recreation and Social Needs Company |
1,000,000 |
|
Waterford City Council — Regional Sports Centre |
500,000 |
The sports capital programme is advertised annually and applications submitted are assessed and then a decision is made on whether they are successful within the cycle of that year's programme. Under the 2004 programme, for example, the closing date for receipt of applications was 16 January 2004. The 1,304 applications received were assessed in accordance with detailed criteria as published in the detailed guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme which were issued with the application forms for the programme. On 7 May and 10 August last, I announced provisional grant allocations under the programme and the successful applicants were informed of the various requirements which must be met before funding can be drawn down. I will make an announcement shortly about the timetable for submission of applications for grants under the 2005 sports capital programme.
