Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 June 2022
89. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the attention of her Department has been drawn to the change in the ownership and company structure at an organisation (details supplied); her views on whether this changed structure means that the organisation is ineligible to draw down the Sports Capital Grant awarded to it in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28203/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country.
The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1 March 2021 and by the deadline a record 3,100 applications were submitted. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6 million were announced on 6 August, 2021.
The remaining capital applications were then assessed and 1,865 individual grant offers with a total value of over €143.8 million were announced on Friday 11 February 2022. Included in this set of allocations was a grant in respect of the club referred to by the Deputy.
The Sports Capital Division of my Department has no record of being informed of a change of ownership of the grantee referred to. With regard to the 2020 SCEP allocation, it should be noted that the grant remains at "provisional allocation" stage. The transfer of a grant from one organisation to another requires the approval of my Department and there are a number of other requirements which must be met before formal approval issues. One of the requirements of the SCEP is that grantees are "not for profit" organisations and my Department may seek proof of this status. In relation to the grant referred to by the Deputy, the status of the grantee will be considered further if a formal approval request is submitted.
