Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2022
205. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to a series of parliamentary questions in respect of a grant for a sports club (details supplied) in County Kildare, if she will provide an update on the situation as of 28 April 2022; and the next steps the club must take in order for funds to be released. [21622/22]
View answerAs outlined in previous replies on this matter, the club to which the Deputy refers was provisionally allocated a grant of €81,500 under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme (SCP) for the development of an artificial playing surface and a further €83,343 under the 2018 SCP towards the provision of floodlights and non-personal sports equipment. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the SCP, due to the value of the grants received by the club in the past, it is necessary to execute a Deed of Covenant and Charge in order to protect the public investment in the facility. These requirements were communicated to the club at provisional allocation stage and it was made clear that formal approval could not issue until the legal requirements were finalised. In this regard, I understand that my Department’s legal advisor, the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO), was in regular contact with the club’s solicitors since 2019 in relation to outstanding documentation.
I am pleased to confirm that the required documentation to advance the 2017 grant has now been received and formal approval for this 2017 grant issued to the club earlier this month. The club can now advance this element of the project and there will be no undue delay in paying this grant once the necessary drawdown documentation is submitted by the club.
