EU Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2012

Wednesday, 28 March 2012

Ceisteanna (34, 35, 36, 37)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Ceist:

23 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he supports the inclusion of sport within the Erasmus for All programme. [16561/12]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

47 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport through what other synergies in the EU 2014-2020 framework programmes as currently proposed, that is youth, research, public health, can Irish sport benefit. [16563/12]

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

49 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the specificity of Irish sports, for example the GAA being overwhelmingly only in existence in Ireland and its amateur nature, the guarantees he will give that Irish sport will not lose out to the EU-wide dimensions often insisted upon in EU programmes. [16562/12]

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

58 Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the role sport will play in the European Commission’s Erasmus for All programme. [16560/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 47, 49 and 58 together.

Erasmus for All is a new EU funding programme for education, training, youth and sport being proposed by the European Commission for the period 2014-2020. I support the inclusion of sport in this programme. The programme is one part of the wider EU budget currently being negotiated and the final allocation for Erasmus for All will be dependent on the outcome of these overall discussions. At present however, the budget proposed for Erasmus for All is €19.5 billion, of which €238 million is proposed to be allocated to a sub-programme for sport. The content of the sport programme is also currently being negotiated at EU level.

I do not believe that Irish sport will lose out under the programme. Funding support will be available for transnational joint projects involving two or more partners, non-commercial European sport events involving several European countries, and for initiatives strengthening the evidence base for policy making in sport or encouraging dialogue among European sports stakeholders. The Programme will benefit public bodies or civil society organisations active in the area of grassroots sport. Given this clear focus on grassroots sport and given the wide-ranging nature of the objectives of the programme and the activities to be funded, there should be good opportunity for Irish organisations to develop through increased co-operation at EU level. There are a number of other EU programmes yet to be finalised.