Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know if the YMCA and everybody else who could have applied or did apply attended the numerous workshops, of which the Deputy is probably aware. Perhaps she is not. They were held throughout the country to inform people of the grants available. To say they were not informed is a little unfair on the officials and others who promoted the scheme. The grants were widely advertised and will be advertised more widely in the future. In the next year, when we open the next grant allocation process, we will probably advertise more widely. We will probably place advertisements in the newspapers and ask the Department of Education and Skills to write to all schools to inform them in case there is a gap which the Deputy has identified, but I am not sure there is because 2,000 applications is a lot. The YMCA applied because the rule was that it had to have a partner in order to apply. It was a good match. If any school wanted to apply, it also had to involve a club. It was a good arrangement.

On golf clubs, we need to be careful. The Deputy has made a good and fair point about rich clubs getting money. If that is what is happening, the issue should be looked at very carefully in the review. It is, however, a little easy to brand golf as a rich man's sport, in which case the Deputy would be making a good point, but it is not exclusively a rich man's sport.