Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Deputy Dooley should not believe everything he reads in the newspapers. Having been a Government party Member, I am sure he was amused by some of what he read in the newspaper, as I am now. Some 111 applications were eligible and all eligible applications were granted funding. Twice as many were ineligible. Of the applications from County Clare, funding was granted to Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park in Ennis, which was eligible. Three other applications were not eligible. In two cases, the town council did not have title to land and in the third case, Kilrush, the land was owned by the ESB. Very often, applications were not allowed because the applicant did not own the land or the project would not have been completed by the end of the year, as was required in order to gain funding.

On a per capita basis, Sligo received the most funding, at €19.93. Sligo does not have a senior Minister although it has a Minister of State.

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