Mr. Kenneth Spratt:

From the Department's perspective, the fact that the 2017 round of the sports capital programme received the greatest number of applications ever presented a significant challenge. In terms of the recommended allocations, for the first time the full scoring system and assessment procedures were published prior to the assessment of applications commencing. The total amount of funding available was divided on a per capitabasis and the exact amount allocated to each project was based on a formula which combined the assessment score obtained, the amount of funding sought and the total amount of funding available for that county.

While the vast majority of applicants were delighted to hear news of allocations, several applicants who had made invalid applications contacted the Department to express their disappointment. The fact that we were able to make a grant offer to every valid applicant obviously magnified the disappointment. Options for addressing the cases were considered by my colleagues and I and we believed that establishing a practical, straightforward internal appeals process would be an appropriate course of action. This suggestion was put to the Minister and Minister of State for consideration and both were agreeable to same. All applicants who had made invalid applications were contacted inviting them to appeal. The introduction of the appeals process also ensures that the sports capital programme now accords with the Department's own customer action plan, which commits to maintaining a simple to use system of appeal for any of our customers who are dissatisfied with our decisions.

Each appeal submitted was considered by an official who had not been involved in the original assessment of that application and all decisions on appeals were also reviewed by at least two more senior officials. While the final recommended allocations under the original assessment and the subsequent appeals process were formally signed off on by the Minister and Minister of State, I would like to emphasise that no changes were proposed to the recommended allocation amounts or to the decisions to make particular applications valid or invalid.