asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding the proposed leisure centre for Tallaght, Dublin 24 confirming that the grant promised for this project will be made available.
Written Answers. - Tallaght Leisure Centre.
26.
I take it that the Deputy is referring to the project for which a grant of £1 million was allocated by my predecessor in 1986. Only £250,000 of that grant was paid in 1986 as expenditure amounted only to that sum by the end of the year. A grant of £700,000 was allocated for the project on 9 March 1987 but was withdrawn shortly afterwards so as to permit a review of the grants scheme in the light of the budgetary position. The Tallaght project was not included among those for which fresh allocations were subsequently made. This decision was inescapable having regard to the following facts:
—the estimated cost of the project being planned by Dublin County Council had increased from £2.5 million to some £6.0 million,
—the County Council had indicated that they would be unable to meet the balance of the cost from their own resources or from non-subsidised borrowing,
—no further grants could be made towards the project in subsequent years because of the decision to wind up the amenity grants scheme in 1987.