Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Grealish for raising this issue. He is correct, there is one item missing from Mayo, the Sam Maguire Cup, but we have the Taoiseach and the Minister with responsibility for sport and we are working on that.

Under the sports capital programme, funding is allocated to sporting and to voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Since 1998, the Department has allocated almost €740 million in more than 7,400 separate allocations. This funding has transformed the level of sports facilities throughout the country. Some €33 million has been provided in the Department's Vote for 2011 to meet payments in respect of projects which have been allocated funding under the sports capital programme, and the subhead is part-funded from the proceeds of the national lottery.

While there has been no new round of the programme advertised since 2008, it is business as usual for grantees previously allocated funding, and the Department continues to make payments to such grantees. Over 1,000 payments were made last year to projects which were being developed across the country. Such payments allow clubs to drain pitches, erect floodlighting, buy non-personal sports equipment, build changing rooms and sports halls and generally increase the opportunities for people to engage in sports at all levels.

In allocating this funding, special targeting and priority is given to projects in RAPID, CLÁR and local drug task force areas. These projects are permitted to have a lower level of minimum own funding available, 20% for projects in CLÁR areas and 10% for RAPID and local drug task force areas, in comparison with the normal 30% towards their project. They may also receive extra marks during the assessment process. In the most recent round of the sports capital programme in 2008, successful projects under the programme in RAPID areas also qualified for additional top-up funding of up to 30% of their sports capital programme allocation, from the then Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Through these measures, the sports capital programme has invested over €150 million in projects in designated disadvantaged areas. In turn, top-up arrangements in RAPID and CLÁR areas have allowed further allocations of more than €22 million to be made.

A draft five year national sports facilities strategy was completed last July in the Department. It is currently being updated to take account of developments since then and should be submitted shortly to me for consideration. The aim of the strategy is to provide high-level policy direction for future investment and grant assistance at national, regional and local level and to ensure a co-ordinated approach across the various agencies and Departments involved in supporting the provision of sport and recreational facilities.

The programme for Government provides that "In future sports funding should prioritise projects which further greater participation in sport on a local and national level". This will be a central focus of any new round of the programme. I am looking at the options that may be open to me with regard to a new programme within the present financial constraints but no decision has been made yet on the timing of the next round of the sports capital programme.

See this speech in context