Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 14, 32 and 40 together.

Applications received under the 2014 sports capital programme are being assessed by officials in my Department.  Every application will be assessed by one official and reviewed by another.  Given the number of applications received and the detail contained therein, this process will take a number of months to complete.  I hope to announce the allocations later this year.

Applications are first checked to ensure eligibility.  All eligible applications are initially assessed against five criteria: the likelihood of increasing participation and-or improving performance and sharing of facilities; the level of socioeconomic disadvantage in the area; the technical merits of the project; the level of own funding available; and the level of sports capital programme funding received in the past. These criteria are designed to give higher scores to applications that will increase participation, where facilities will be shared, that are from designated disadvantaged areas, that have not received substantial funding in the past and that are ready to be progressed as soon as possible.

In 2008, local authorities were requested to carry out an audit of local sports facilities.  Many of these local authorities and local sports partnerships around the country have published online directories or databases of the sports and recreational facilities in their areas.

In deciding the final allocations within each county, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I may have regard to other criteria such as population, performance during the assessment process, and ensuring a geographic spread of rural and urban projects and of projects among different sports.

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