Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What happened with the CLÁR programme also happened with the dispersed capital programme. No matter how long organisations are given to apply for a scheme, applications are submitted at the last minute. In the case of the sports capital programme, at 4.55 p.m. on the very last day of applications for the programme the system broke down because everyone left it until the last minute even though there had not been a scheme for many years.

Due to Easter and other issues, we extended the application deadline for another week in order to give local authorities until the end of the week to apply. I do not want to consider applications for too long. I want funding to be allocated and targeted at groups which need it. Local authorities have complained that the allocation of the money comes too late. That is why applications will close on Friday. At the end of this month I intend to allocate the money so that local authorities and other groups have plenty of time to spend the money before the end of the year.

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