Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I assure the Deputy that all the applications received by my Department are assessed independently. Second, if people do not send in applications, they cannot be funded. It depends on the number. Some counties are much better at submitting applications than others. If we do not get an application for a project, we cannot fund it. Third, if the application is not up to standard and does not meet the criteria set out under the scheme, it is not deemed eligible on many occasions. I do not even see those applications because the point is that they are assessed, as I said, independently. The most recent scheme was the outdoor recreation scheme. As far as I know, the applications for it first of all went through Pobal, which assessed them, and then, once they scored over a certain bar, they came to my Department and the funding was allocated, I can assure the Deputy, in a very open, transparent, fair and balanced way. The Deputy should get the community groups or the local authority to engage with my Department, see exactly where the application fell down and resubmit it. I will open up all those funding streams during this year and I am glad to say I have got increased funding for many of the streams the Deputy is talking about.

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