Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Under the sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Since 1998, the Government has allocated more than €725 million in sports capital funding to more than 7,400 sports projects nationwide. This investment has transformed the sporting landscape of Ireland and has allowed the development of sports facilities nationwide. These facilities have dramatically increased the opportunities for all people to engage in a wide variety of sports.

I will circulate, with my reply, a tabular statement that sets out the amount of outstanding allocations as at the end of October for each of the years of the programme since 2002, when the Department was established. The full 2008 allocation of €58 million from the C1 subhead, which is provided for grants to sporting bodies for the provision of sports and recreation facilities, has been distributed to the successful applicants at this stage. The multi-annual capital investment framework from 2009 to 2013, as published in the Book of Estimates, will enable the commitments made under the sports capital programme to be met in future years.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Sports Capital Programme

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