Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy. I agree completely that the sports capital programme is a very positive addition to Irish society. Since 1998, €911 million has been spent on vital sporting facilities in large and small communities. The footprint is very visible in the communities where that €911 million has been spent. It has made a huge difference to sporting organisations, many of which would be otherwise unable to raise funding for necessary infrastructure. I was delighted when the scheme was reintroduced in 2012, having been scrapped in 2008 when the economic crisis hit. We were also able to introduce a scheme in 2014-15 and we have been able to do so again in 2017.

When I came into the Department on 20 June, applications had closed. At that stage, there was a budget of €30 million for both the local and regional schemes, with a breakdown of €26 million to €4 million, respectively. Unfortunately, the overall value of the 2,320 applications submitted for both the local and regional schemes was €155 million. Given those figures, it would have been very difficult to reward in a meaningful way all of the volunteers to whom Deputy Troy referred had we attempted to spread the available funds across all of the applications. The first thing I did, therefore, was to consult with the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross. We dug in and worked very hard in the months before the budget to increase the funding for the programme. We had a very successful outcome in the budget and managed to raise the available funding for the 2017 programme from €30 million to €60 million, which was a considerable increase. Hopefully, that level of funding will allow us to deliver a positive and progressive scheme on Thursday of this week. It will be very responsive to the needs of clubs around the country and help to clear a backlog which has built up.

As Deputy Troy knows, the breakdown in 2012 was that 48% of clubs made invalid applications. In 2014-15, approximately one third were invalid. Due to changes which have been made to the scheme and the website, we are looking at an invalid rate of approximately 20%, which is a step in the right direction, albeit still 20% too much. I would like to see a 0% rate of invalidation and to bring everyone through the process as a valid applicant. That would give every club the opportunity to have its application tested on its merits. For now, approximately 80% of applications are valid which means we are seeking to ensure that €56 million is disbursed among approximately 1,700 clubs. Grants will be based primarily on the amounts the valid applicants sought and the points they secured through the application process.

The application process is onerous and clubs provide huge amounts of information to the officials in the Department on socio-economic disadvantage, levels of own funding, previous funding received, levels of participation, social inclusion and many other useful metrics.

The Minister, Deputy Ross, and I were extremely determined to ensure that the true merits of applicants were reflected in allocations. We feel we have come up with a way of doing that which is transparent and entirely fair. We are proud of it because it is a step in the right direction for the sports capital programme, which will have a meaningful impact on many communities when funding is allocated. For the volunteers, there has been a delay because of the extra funding and an unprecedented number of applications - 2,320 is the highest ever - but it was worth waiting for because, ultimately, we will have a very good programme this year.

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