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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 3

Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

44 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation his Department's initiatives to improve, enhance and increase sport and recreation facilities in the centre of urban communities; the proposals for such facilities in Dublin 3, 5 and 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11449/00]

The sports capital programme operated by my Department provides financial assistance to voluntary and community organis ations, including sporting organisations, towards the development of sport and recreation facilities.

Under the 1999 sports capital programme grants totalling £5.093 million were allocated to 53 projects in the Dublin area of which grants totalling £0.762 million were allocated to 12 projects in the Dublin 3, 5 and 9 areas.

The sports capital programme for 2000 was advertised in early December 1999, with a closing date of 11 February 2000 for the receipt of completed applications. More than 1,600 applications were received and the initial processing of these has been completed.

All of the applications received under the programme will be evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria which are outlined in the guidelines which accompanied the application form and I hope to be in a position to announce the grant allocations by June 2000. Until such time as the evaluation of the applications has been completed, I am not in a position to say what projects in the Dublin 3, 5 and 9 will be allocated funding.

In addition, the Government set up the young people's facilities and services fund in 1998 as part of its national drugs strategy, to develop youth facilities, including sport and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The three-year fund aims to attract young people in those areas at risk of becoming involved in drugs into more healthy and productive pursuits. An Exchequer contribution of £34.8 million has been allocated over a three year period, 1999 – 2001, for this purpose.

The primary focus of the fund has been on the local drugs task force areas, of which 12 are located in Dublin. Parts of Dublin 3 and 5 postal districts are covered by the North Inner City Task Force and the Dublin North East Task Force areas respectively. In April 1999, the Government allocated over £25 million to support 295 facility and services projects in these areas over the next three years. Of this amount £22 million was allocated to 268 individual projects in Dublin, including £994,000 to support eight facility projects the North Inner City Task Force area and £803,000 to support eight facility projects in the Dublin North East. Details of these projects have already been provided to the Deputy on foot of a previous parliamentary question.

In 1999 my Department commissioned the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management to prepare a report on the present condition of local authority pools constructed between 1966 and 1981. Some 30 pools around the country were identified as being in need of refurbishment of which seven are in the Dublin Corporation area. I have secured funding of £45 million for the swimming pool programme for three years commencing in 2000 and my Department has invited proposals to refurbish the pools identified by ILAM, from the local authorities responsible for each pool. To date, no proposal has been submit ted in respect of the pools in Dublin 3, 5 and 9 areas.
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