John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

The national lottery funded sports capital programme allocates funding to sporting, voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. In regard to the 2004 sports capital programme, I announced funding allocations, totalling €50.8 million, to 717 projects on 7 May last.

I set out in the following tabular form the specific data requested by the Deputy for the funding allocated for each year to counties Cavan and Monaghan from 2000 to 2004 and how this relates to the overall level of funding in those years.

The overall total of the allocations made in that period under the programme was €284.6 million. Of that amount, 64 projects located in County Cavan received grants totalling over €3.2 million or 1.14% of the total allocation. If the funding were allocated on a strict per capita basis only, the county would be entitled to 1.17% of the total allocation. Some 72 projects located in County Monaghan have been allocated over €3.8 million in the period in question or 1.35% of the overall total. Again, if the funding were allocated on a strict per capita basis only, Monaghan should receive 1.34% of the total allocation. On the basis of these figures, the level of funding received by the counties is very much in line with what might be expected.

Those projects which receive funding under the 2004 programme, which are located in areas covered by either of the Government's CLÁR or RAPID schemes for prioritising disadvantaged areas are in line for additional funding from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which administers those schemes. A statement will issue in due course from my colleague, the Minister at that Department, Deputy Ó Cuív, regarding top-up funding allocations under these programmes.

Of the projects which have received provisional grant allocations to date in 2004 in County Cavan, eight are located in either CLÁR or RAPID areas, while in County Monaghan, two projects are located in CLÁR areas.

I am satisfied that projects in counties Cavan and Monaghan have been treated fairly in the administration of the programme and I expect that the Deputy will agree with me that the funding provided has made a major difference to the range and quality of the sports facilities in counties Cavan and Monaghan since 1998.

See this speech in context