Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I was saying, there was a record number of applications. We gave all the applicants in a county a second chance to submit technical information and that process is concluding at present. From closure to announcement, we are actually ahead of what has happened in previous rounds. When the deadline closes, it will be less than a year from when we announced the applications to when we announced the grant outcomes. We expect that to happen in early February.

As Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan mentioned, the final second-chance applications will be submitted at the end of January. We will then finalise the figure with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and we will announce it in early February. I expect it will be in the first week or two of February when the assessment is concluded. It is just a case of receiving the technical information and giving clubs the opportunity to submit the technical information in order that they are included in the round. It is in their interest that the Government is giving that second opportunity. When Deputy Griffin was Minister of State, along with others he brought in the second-chance opportunity, which is greatly benefiting clubs and communities so they are not ruled out. Up to 20% or 25% of applications were ruled out in previous rounds. I think early February is a good time to announce grants. People have the year ahead to get their funding together, get drawdown and get planning for the summertime where it is better to actually progress sports applications.

I thank Deputy Naughten for his question on defibrillators. Just before Christmas, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and I announced a stimulus for sport in which we funded a significant number of defibrillators. We are working with Sport Ireland to establish a geo-database of all sport and recreational facilities across the country. We want to include defibrillators as part of that in order that people will be able to see where defibrillators are available. The Deputy is correct about their maintenance and people need to know how to use them. Through the local sports partnerships, we fund much of the training for defibrillators. Part of that training in a club environment for those people who know how to use them is to ensure that they are charged and that their batteries are updated. I will ask Sport Ireland to revert to the Deputy on what communication it is having with clubs and sporting organisations. It is a fair question.

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