Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 November 2004
181 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if there are grants or funding available for a golf club to develop existing facilities and to protect current boundaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28256/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe national lottery funded sports capital programme administered by my Department allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Under the 2004 sports capital programme I allocated €61 million in respect of 738 projects.
Applications under the programme are assessed in accordance with a very detailed set of guidelines, terms and conditions. While it is open to golf clubs to apply for funding under the programme in respect of the development of facilities, funding for golf clubs would not generally be regarded as a priority under the programme and no golf club benefited under the 2004 programme. I will make an announcement shortly about the timetable for submission of applications for grants under the 2005 sports capital programme.
From a tourism perspective, the only source of grant support generally available for the development of tourism capital projects is the tourism product development scheme. This scheme, which is funded under the European regional development fund, supports investment in tourism product over the period of the National Development Plan 2000-06 and is administered by Fáilte Ireland.
