Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2024
15. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to provide an update on whether funding for the sports capital grant will be increased due to record numbers of applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6373/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra18. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the timeline for the release of the Sports Capital Grants; the number of applications from County Cork; the amount sports clubs and organisations have applied for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7034/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 18 together.
Capital funding for sport is provided though the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme 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. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998 bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas.
The latest round of the SCEP closed for applications on Friday 8 September, 2023. A preliminary examination of the submitted applications demonstrates that the Programme has again generated a very large number of applications. The total number of 3,210 applications exceeds the record number submitted under the last (2020) round. In response to Deputy O'Connor, I can confirm that 363 clubs and sporting organisations from County Cork have applied for funding totalling €40m.
The "Scoring System and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round has been finalised and published along with a list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received. The detailed assessment work has commenced and it is planned to assess the "equipment-only" applications first and announce these grants in the coming months. Work will then commence on assessing the capital applications with the allocations likely to be announced later.
The National Sports Policy which was published in 2018 provided for a new Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The aim of the fund is to provide Exchequer support for larger sports projects and facilities where the required Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP).
In January 2020 allocations of €86.4 million in LSSIF funding were awarded to 33 different proposals. In December Minister Martin and I announced additional funding amounting to a total of €37.6 million, with 27 existing LSSIF projects benefitting, bringing the total awarded to date to LSSIF-funded projects to €124 million. This additional funding for projects was provided, in response to delays experienced by grantees arising from the pandemic and construction inflation.
Minister Martin and I have also confirmed that a new round of the LSSIF will open for applications in the first half of 2024, with the dates, terms and conditions to be published on the Department’s website in due course.
Finally, Minister Martin and I are engaging with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with regard to the Department's capital allocations for the coming years. This process is ongoing and the outcome will inform the level of funding which will be available for allocation.
