Vol. 481 No. 4
233 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the date on which plans and tender documents for the proposed regional sports centre in Athlone, County Westmeath, were lodged with his Department; when he will sanction this project going to tender; the reason for the long delay in processing this documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16120/97]
A grant allocation of £1.5 million was originally made available in 1988 towards the development of a regional sports centre at Athlone under the sports capital programme responsibility for which recently transferred to the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. I am advised that for various reasons, including a shortfall in matching funding for the project, it did not proceed. A new grant allocation was subsequently made in April 1996, this time at the level of £2.5 million.
Drawings and other pre-tender documentation were submitted to the sports section of the Department of Education in January 1997. I understand that the documenation was examined in the Department and that a number of issues were raised with the UDC in July of this year. In particular, the UDC has been asked to establish the availability of funds to complete the project apart from the grant of £2.5 million which has been approved under the sports capital programme. The UDC indicated in August that in order to make up the shortfall in funding they were seeking grant aid and sanction to borrow funds from the Department of the Environment and Local Government. It is understood that the UDC is still awaiting decisions on these matters.
