Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The workshops were well attended. There was standing room only in some. For the 2018 programme, we need to place greater emphasis on the workshops. They were a great success for the 2017 programme. We should co-ordinate more closely with the partnerships already working with disadvantaged areas and target elements of the community with lower participation. That would be a good way to ensure the Department has a broader spread in terms of the level of disadvantage represented in the applications. Over 1,000 disadvantaged clubs received funding out of the 1,700 applications - well over half of the applications - under the local scheme.