Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Oct 2003

Vol. 571 No. 4

Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

370 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on whether the refusal of sports capital grants to three Tralee clubs, Cumann Iosaef of Spa Road-Ballyoonagh Estate, John Mitchel's GAA Club and an outdoor facility in Shankill-Rahoonane, undermines the commitment made under the RAPID programme to regenerate these areas. [22288/03]

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

380 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason the Shankhill-Rahoonane sports grant application was not successful. [22267/03]

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

382 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reasons for the refusal of a sports grant to Cumann Iosaef of Spa Road-Ballyoonagh Estate to fund better quality sports facilities. [22282/03]

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

383 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason for the refusal of a sports grant to the John Mitchel's GAA Club, Tralee, County Kerry, to upgrade existing facilities. [22283/03]

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

384 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason for the refusal of a sports grant to Tralee Pitch and Putt Club to refurbish their clubhouse. [22284/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 370, 380 and 382 to 384, inclusive, together. The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. For the 2003 sports capital programme, following consultation with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs – DCRGA – it was decided that disadvantaged areas were those that have been designated by Government for special support through the schemes administered by DCRGA, namely, RAPID 1, RAPID 2, local drugs task force areas and Clár areas. In the assessment of applications under the 2003 programme, greater priority was also given to projects which were located in RAPID areas and which were endorsed by RAPID area implementation teams for those areas. Under the 2003 sports capital programme, a total of €7.6 million was allocated to projects located in RAPID areas, of which almost €5.5 million was for projects specifically endorsed by RAPID area implementation teams.

The assessment of all applications under the 2003 sports capital programme had to take into account basic qualifying conditions and, apart from the level of disadvantage, many other criteria as set out in the published guidelines, terms and conditions document, which accompanied the application form for the programme, must also be met. Being located in one of the designated disadvantaged areas would not, of itself, qualify an applicant for a grant. Following this assessment process, I announced provisional grant allocations on 25 July last for those allocations classified as local and on 29 August for those classified as regional, municipal or multi-purpose and national.

The applications referred to by the Deputy were unsuccessful. A letter was issued to each of the organisations concerned on 6 August advising them accordingly, together with a copy of the assessment carried out on their application, including any specific reasons for the applications being unsuccessful. It is open to the organisations in question, should they wish to do so, and should they have projects which satisfy the terms and conditions of the programme, to submit applications to the 2004 sports capital programme when that scheme is publicly advertised. Projects which meet the basic qualifying conditions and which are designated as disadvantaged will again be prioritised under this programme in line with the guidelines, terms and conditions for that programme when these are finalised.

Rather than undermining the regeneration of RAPID areas as suggested by the Deputy, the improved targeting of RAPID projects in the designation of disadvantaged areas under the sports capital programme has recently been singled out for praise by Area Development Management Limited, the agency with responsibility for the administration of RAPID and also by the RAPID national monitoring committee.

Charlie O'Connor

Ceist:

371 Mr. O'Connor asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the arrangements for the next round of grants under the capital grants scheme. [21945/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I assume that the Deputy is referring to the national lottery-funded sports capital programme administered by my Department and which allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. The 2003 sports capital programme was advertised in the national newspapers on 23 and 24 March 2003. The closing date for receipt of applications was 25 April. A total of 1,337 applications were received before the closing date. Following completion of the evaluation of the applications received by my Department under the programme, I announced all provisional grant allocations for the 2003 programme, totalling over €52.8 million, on 25 July and 29 August last. I will make an announcement shortly about the timetable for submission of applications for grants under the 2004 sports capital programme.