Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no lack of commitment in terms of addressing sporting facilities or Healthy Ireland, with a Minster of State appointed to deal directly with that. The reason for the allocation for 2017 is based on what can be spent. We have had a situation where over the past 20 years the Government made allocations every couple of years for sports capital grants, many of which were not drawn down for three or four years after the announcements were made. What the Government is doing here is providing a multi-annual budget envelope where it can make allocations that can and will be drawn down. In other words, the money will be spent and not be lying there for three or four years while applications are objected to or whatever.

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