Vol. 571 No. 1
769 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the date on which he received an application from Cork City Council for funding towards the construction of a new swimming pool at Churchfield, Cork, the amount sought and the reasons he has failed to provide funding for the pool. [21385/03]
791 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received an application for a capital grant from Cork City Council for the reconstruction of Churchfield leisure complex; the amount of grant applied for; and if he will allocate money for the complex in 2003. [21051/03]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 769 and 791 together.
A grant of €400,000 was provisionally allocated to Cork City Council under the 2002 sports capital programme towards the provision of ancillary facilities, e.g., changing rooms, fitness studio, at the Churchfield leisure complex. Payment of the grant will be made by my Department on receipt of the necessary documentation and certification from Cork City Council in accordance with the terms and conditions of the sports capital programme. No application for funding for the project was received under the 2003 sports capital programme, for which I recently announced all provisional allocations.
Cork City Council applied in December 1999 for grant aid under the local authority swimming pool programme for the refurbishment of Churchfield swimming pool. Under this programme, following the initial submission of a feasibility study, projects progress through four stages: preliminary report, contract documents, tender and construction, with formal approval required before progressing from one stage to the next. The maximum grant available under the local authority swimming pool programme is €3.8 million, subject to the total grant not exceeding 80% of the eligible cost of the project or, in the case of projects located in designated disadvantaged areas, 90% of the eligible cost. Grant aid is allocated only when tenders have been approved for the project and the grant amount is capped at the time of allocation.
In the case of Churchfield swimming pool, the tender documentation for the refurbishment has been received and is under consideration in my Department.
