Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2006
326 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the funding allocated under the Government sporting grant schemes in 2005 and for 2006; and the breakdown of the way in which and where the funding was allocated. [9001/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2005, my Department's total expenditure on sport amounted to €184.5 million on the sports capital programme, local authority swimming pool programme, redevelopment of Lansdowne Road, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, Irish Sports Council, Horseracing Ireland and Bord na gCon. The provision for sport in 2006 in the Book of Estimates amounts to €228.795 million, an increase of 24% over 2005.
The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, is the primary means of providing capital funding for sports facilities to clubs and voluntary and community organisations throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. In 2005 a total of €56.8 million was paid out in respect of grants allocated under the sports capital programmes. Since 1998 a total of €395 million has now been allocated to 4,923 projects throughout the country providing for the needs of organisations and participants in the areas of physical recreation, training, coaching and competition at all levels of sport. Almost €68 million has been provided in the 2006 Estimates for the provision of national lottery funded sport and physical recreational facilities.
In 2005, €14.1 million was spent under my Department's local authority swimming pool programme supporting the construction-refurbishment of swimming pools. In that year, two new pools opened to the public — in Tuam and Ballymun — and two refurbished pools opened — in Clonmel and Churchfield in Cork city. In addition, five projects were approved for grant assistance allowing construction-refurbishment work to commence at various locations. Seven pool projects were approved to seek tenders for construction and a further nine projects had their preliminary reports approved allowing the preparation of contract documents. In 2006, €32 million has been provided in my Department's Vote in respect of this programme and so far this year I have allocated a further €11,427,642 towards three swimming pool projects at Portlaoise, Portarlington and Longford.
In January 2004 the Government agreed to provide funding of €191 million, phased over five years, to the joint IRFU-FAI project for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road stadium as a 50,000 seat state-of-the-art stadium. This project has now been taken to the planning stage and an application for planning permission was lodged with Dublin City Council in January. Expenditure in 2005 amounted to €9.5 million, with €20 million being provided for expenditure in 2006.
In 2005, a total of €1.4 million in current funding was provided to CSID, the company charged with the development of the sports campus. In November 2005, the Government approved the commencement of phase one of the development of facilities at Abbotstown and funds for the delivery of the project have been provided in my Department's multiannual capital envelope for 2006-10. Phase one provides for the development of a national field sports training centre, catering for rugby, soccer, Gaelic games and hockey. In addition, a national indoor training centre is planned to provide world class training facilities for more than 30 sports, accommodation for sportsmen and sportswomen, sports science and medical facilities and publicly accessible all-weather floodlit synthetic pitches for community use are also included. Current and capital funding totalling €10.798 million has been provided in the 2006 Estimates.
The Irish Sports Council was established in 1999 as the statutory body responsible for the promotion and development of sport in Ireland. It spent more than €34 million in 2005 on initiating, developing and enhancing a wide range of programmes aimed at increasing participation and raising standards in sport. Almost €41 million has been allocated to the council for 2006, which will ensure the continuation of its work in advancing and supporting sport at all levels.
Government support for the horse and greyhound racing industries is provided under the horse and greyhound racing fund, as approved by the Oireachtas. Under the provisions of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, the fund receives a guaranteed level of finance based on the excise duty on off-course betting. A total of €68.35 million was provided under the fund in 2005 of which €54.84 million was allocated to current expenditure and €13.51 million to capital programmes. In 2004 the Oireachtas approved regulations to increase the limit of the fund from €254 million to €550 million to continue the fund for a further four years to 2008. A total of €70.06 million has been provided for the fund in 2006.
This unprecedented level of investment in sport is clear evidence of the importance which the Government attaches to establishing modern, well equipped and well managed sporting facilities supported by a wide range of programmes which are having a real benefit to our communities.
327 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps being taken by his Department to promote Olympic sports here. [9002/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra331 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps which are being taken by his Department to promote and invest in minority sports, such as tennis, skateboarding, ice hockey, hill climbing and so on; and if he will report on the matter. [9007/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 331 together.
My Department's role is to provide the overall policy framework and the necessary funding to assist in the provision of sports facilities and to enable its State agency, the Irish Sports Council, to carry out its various functions. The Irish Sports Council was established in 1999 as the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion and development of sport. The provision in funding for the Sports Council in the 2006 Estimates is €40.9 million, in comparison with just over €13 million in 2000. This increased level of funding has enabled the council to initiate, develop and enhance a wide range of programmes to assist the governing bodies of Olympic, major and minority sports in strengthening their capacities, increasing participation and raising standards in their sports.
The Irish Sports Council has already this year allocated grants totalling €7.7 million to 59 national governing bodies of sport, including Olympic and minority sports. The core activities covered by the grants include administration of the sports, the employment of professional staff, coach development and assorted development activities. For certain sports it may also include hosting events and programmes aimed at increasing participation. The sports council also works in partnership with the Olympic Council of Ireland, Paralympic Council of Ireland and relevant Olympic governing bodies of sport in the preparation and participation of Irish competitors at the Olympic and paralympic games.
Arising from the Athens review 2005, the sports council put together an operational plan which identifies key performance indicators, timescales and costings and the roles of the various agencies in supporting Ireland's Olympic and paralympic preparations for Beijing 2008 and beyond. The plan encompasses elements such as the introduction of targeted sport performance plans, including prioritising junior, development and elite athletes; the international carding scheme; proposals for the development of an Irish institute of sport; maintaining and enhancing the role of the Olympic and paralympic performance committees to ensure optimum co-operation in the preparation and performance of the Irish team for the Beijing games and beyond and the strengthening of the Olympic Council of Ireland's administrative capability.
The sports council has established performance planning for a number of targeted Olympic-paralympic sports. Grants are allocated to each sport, which have clear performance pathways and targets. This approach will help put into place longer term planning within high performance sports linking directly into the 2012 London games. In 2006, additional grants totalling €3.9 million have been allocated to 13 Olympic-paralympic sports.
The Olympic performance committee and paralympic performance committees, with representatives of the council, the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Paralympic Council of Ireland, meet regularly to address various topics that arise in the run-up to the games. The meetings focus on strengthening co-operation between the key agencies on athlete preparation, particularly in relation to pre-games training camps, acclimatisation and full medical and science support.
The national lottery funded sports capital programme administered by my Department allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Since 1998 a total of €395 million has been allocated to 4,923 projects providing for the needs of organisations and participants in the areas of physical recreation, training, coaching and competition at all levels of sport, including Olympic and minority sports. Among the major projects which have received substantial funding are the National Aquatic Centre and national centres for rowing, tennis, hockey, boxing, basketball and athletics, all catering for Olympic sports.
The local authority swimming pool programme, which is also administered by my Department, provides grant aid towards the capital costs of a new swimming pool, a replacement pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool. I allocated a total of more than €19 million under the local authority swimming pool programme in 2005 towards five swimming pool projects. So far in 2006 I have allocated a further €11.4 million towards three swimming pool projects.
The Government has approved the commencement of phase one of the development of facilities at Abbotstown and funds for the delivery of the project have been provided in my Department's multiannual capital envelope for 2006-10. Phase one provides for the development of a national field sports training centre catering for rugby, soccer Gaelic games and hockey. In addition, a national indoor training centre is planned to provide world class training facilities for more than 30 sports, accommodation for sportsmen and sportswomen, sports science and medical facilities and publicly accessible all-weather floodlit synthetic pitches for community use are also included.
The Irish Sports Council is also finalising its proposals for the development of an Irish institute of sport. The planned facilities at the sports campus at Abbotstown and the considerable progress being made in providing a network of high quality facilities throughout the country, complemented by the support of the sports council, help deliver the infrastructure and programmes needed for the further development of our elite competitors as well as participants at all levels in all types of sport in Ireland.
328 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps which are being taken to invest funds in communities here for new, modern sport facilities. [9003/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra329 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps which are being taken by his Department to invest funding for sporting facilities into designated areas of disadvantage here, such as the CLÁR and RAPID areas. [9004/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 328 and 329 together.
The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, provides funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country towards the provision of sport and recreational facilities. Since 1998, almost €395 million has been allocated in sports capital funding to some 4,923 projects in villages, towns and parishes throughout the country. Over that period, the annual allocation has increased by more than 830% from just over €7.55 million in 1998 to almost €63.2 million in 2005. Of the 2005 allocation, in excess of €12.7 million was allocated to projects classified as community-mixed, which would include recreational facilities provided in community centres and community based facilities and projects where more than one sport or recreational activity was available.
One of the stated objectives of the sports capital programme is to prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of sports facilities. Such areas are those designated by Government for special support through the schemes administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Pobal, the agency with responsibility for the administration of the RAPID programme, that is, RAPID I and II, local drugs task force and CLÁR areas.
Projects identified as being located in areas designated as disadvantaged are targeted and prioritised in a number of ways during assessment of applications under the programme. They are permitted to have a lower level of own funding available — 20% as against the normal 30% — towards their project and also receive a higher assessment score under a number of assessment criteria. In addition, applications which include programmes aimed at improving social inclusion also receive higher assessment scores.
Over the period 2001-05, a total of €141 million was allocated under the sports capital programme to almost 1,500 projects in respect of the provision of facilities in areas categorised as disadvantaged. In addition, successful projects located in CLÁR and RAPID areas may qualify to receive additional top-up funding, payable by the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, in addition to their sports capital allocation. In the case of projects located in CLÁR areas, this top-up funding can be up to 20% of the sports capital grant amount; in the case of projects located in RAPID areas which are also endorsed by their local area implementation team, the top-up funding can be up to 30%.
My Department continues to liaise closely with both the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Pobal with regard to continuing to prioritise applications for sports capital funding from areas designated by Government as disadvantaged.
The local authority swimming pool programme, which is also administered by my Department, provides grant aid towards the capital costs of a new swimming pool, a replacement pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool. The programme provides for a maximum grant level of 80% of eligible costs — 90% in the case of disadvantaged areas — subject to a maximum of €3.8 million. The current round of the swimming pool programme was closed to applications on 31 July 2000 and the priority in relation to the programme is to support the 57 projects which applied for funding prior to the closing date. Since 2000, just over €93 million has been allocated towards the cost of swimming pool projects.
I am sure the Deputy will agree that, given the massive increase in investment I have outlined, it is clear there has been a significant improvement in the level of sport and recreational facilities being provided in communities all over the country. However, my Department is continually assessing the economic and social potential of sport and has established an inter-agency steering group to oversee the development of a sports facilities strategy.
Section 847A of the Taxes Consolidation Act provides for a scheme for tax relief for relevant donations to approved sports bodies towards the funding of sports capital projects. Approved sports status can be awarded by my Department for suitable capital projects, allowing for tax relief to be claimed by a club on donations towards the project that exceed the minimum qualifying threshold of €250 per annum. Full details of the tax relief scheme are available on my Department's website at www.dast.gov.ie.
