Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2022
320. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the up-to-date position in relation to the Sports Capital Programme appeals process; when decisions will be communicated to clubs; the status of appeals in respect of the Large-Scale Sports Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23268/22]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.1 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas.
The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1 March 2021 and by the deadline a record 3,100 applications were submitted. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6 million were announced on 6 August, 2021.
The remaining capital applications were then assessed and 1,865 individual grant offers with a total value of over €143.8 million were announced on Friday 11 February 2022. This represented the highest level of allocation ever made under the SCEP.
Unsuccessful applicants were invited to appeal the Department's decision. The deadline for submission of appeals was Monday 4 April and 146 appeals were received. Of the record €150 million made available for capital projects, €6 million has been kept in reserve for any successful appeals. The preliminary assessment of all appeals has now been complete and it is hoped to announce consequent allocations shortly.
The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was launched in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, including swimming pools, with at least €100 million being made available over the period to 2027.The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and, thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals.
While the priority in the short term is to advance all of the projects that were allocated funding, as it is now over two years since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was considered timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants. My Department has now met with all successful grantees and work is at an advanced stage in drafting the review.
In relation to appeals, all unsuccessful applicants were given the opportunity to appeal the Department’s decision if it was felt than an error was made in the assessment process. By the deadline six appeals were received, consisting of five under Stream 1 (Design) and one under Stream 2 (Construction). All appeals were assessed by officials who were not involved in the initial assessment process and a final decision on the LSSIF appeals will be made as part of the review which should be completed shortly.
Once the review is complete the scope for awarding any additional grants, adjusting the level of existing grants and the timing of any new call for proposals will be considered.
