Mr. Denis Duggan:

In our pre-budget submission from last year, not this year, we advocated to the Government on that very need. In previous engagements with the committee, it was said ECVOA was not eligible for sports capital funding. We have articulated the view that some form of capital support and a programme is available, but unfortunately ECVOA is not eligible. I believe that, in previous engagements, Deputy Fitzmaurice pointed out that the sports capital programme run by the Department of sport is very much focused on community organisations. It is not really up to me to offer suggestions to the Department of sport on how it should change the funding model, but ECVOA is not eligible and is well aware of that.

As I mentioned in the opening statement, the venue centres are integral to the running of those events for which we provide funding, but there is an indirect benefit in that when we provide significant prize money for the likes of the Studbook Series, the venue centres hosting the series collect entry fees as part of the process, which fees they retain to cover their running costs and whatever other affiliation-----