Jim Higgins
Ceist:643 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make available funding to upgrade the hyperbaric chamber at University College Hospital, Galway. [9674/02]
Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.
Michael Ring
Ceist:673 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the funding his Department will provide to upgrade the hyperbaric chamber in Galway. [9450/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 643 and 673 together.
The national lottery funded sports capital programme, administered by my Department, provides financial assistance to organisations, including national governing bodies of sport such as the Irish Underwater Council, for the provision of sporting and recreational facilities.
The programme is advertised annually and applications for funding from clubs-organisations have to be made on an individual basis.
The sports capital programme for 2002 was advertised on 25 and 26 November 2001 with a closing date of 4 January 2002 for the receipt of completed applications. In excess of 1,350 applications were received before the closing date. An application was submitted by the Irish Underwater Council to the programme but was not in relation to the provision of the hyperbaric chamber and did not make any reference to this facility.
The applications to the 2002 programme are currently being evaluated against its assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.
It is intended that the 2003 sports capital programme will be advertised towards the end of this year.