John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of the sports capital funding allocated for 2009 that has been drawn down to date in 2009; the amount it is estimated that will be drawn down by year end of 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32807/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, is the primary vehicle for Government support for the provision of sports facilities and equipment. Since 1998, through the sports capital programme, the Government has invested over €725 million in over 7,400 separate sporting projects. This investment has transformed the Irish sporting landscape with improved facilities in virtually every village, town and city. The facilities funded range from basic sports facilities and new equipment for the smallest clubs, to regional, integrated multi-sport centres and national centres of sporting excellence.

This investment is evidence of the importance this Government places on sport. Sports facilities that are well planned, built and managed have the ability to act as focal points for a community and allow more people to get involved in healthy activities. Participation in sport is important for many reasons. For individuals, participation has health benefits, builds confidence and gives people a sense of their worth. For society as a whole, sport can reduce anti-social behaviour while sporting success has the ability to lift the spirits of whole counties and even the whole country.

Some €56 million has been provided in my Department's Vote in 2009 out of which grants are paid for the provision of sports and recreation facilities. Almost 1,200 payments with a total value of €43 million were approved by my Department from this subhead by close of business on 17 September last. All of the €56 million provision will be distributed to grantees in the current year.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am trying to understand the amount by which sport funding will be cut in the coming Estimates. The Minister refers to €43 million of the €56 million provision, leaving €13 million. Does the Minister envisage this will be drawn down before the end of the year? Clubs and organisations that were granted funding in the past number of years find it difficult to supply funding to finish projects. If that does not happen before year end, will this money be available to them next year? Will it continue to be available until they get funding? If this does not happen, can the money be reallocated to the current side of sport? There are no capital grants for the coming year, the swimming pool programme has been closed to new applicants and Lansdowne Road is complete. It has been said there is a 33% reduction in current spending. This has major implications for jobs and governing bodies rolling out programmes that are dependent on funding from the Irish Sports Council. What are the plans of the Minister to continue to fund the current side of sport?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am absolutely certain all €56 million will be drawn down this year. There is no question about that. The projects that will use the balance exist and this money will be paid out. I will not have a surplus, much as I would like to have one. This amounts to 1,200 projects being approved this year. Clearly there will have to be capital funding for next year because there is a large number of projects in the system, an overhang of approved projects worth over €100 million. Many of these will be ready for next year. Clearly, there are difficulties for clubs in providing matching funding they had committed to. Also, some elements of projects have changed from what was approved and this presents a number of difficulties. My officials are trying to work with clubs to facilitate them as best we can.

The figure for next year is a matter for the budgetary process and I cannot say what that will be. It is not as if we are not spending any money, we are still spending major amounts of money but I have not opened up another programme this year. It is important to try to clear the backlog of projects outstanding this year and next year.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am concerned about the disproportionate number of cuts proposed in the McCarthy report for the current side of sport. On the arts side, I was glad to hear the Minister robustly defend spending in the arts and the €11.8 billion sum the Minister estimates the sector is worth. All spending on the current side of sport has major economic benefits to the country as well. The sporting fraternity would like to hear the Minister robustly coming out on that side. The sporting fraternity has not yet come out protesting and defending itself but it is important that the views of the Minister on the available funding are heard. The Minister referred to how uplifting sports can be. What are his views on the spending cuts proposed?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Sometimes issues are picked up because of timing but not long ago I articulated a similar and strong view on sport. When we discuss sport we must understand the huge impact that can be made at a very young level by the money invested by sporting bodies throughout the country in training and facilities and the access children are given to sport. The Deputy is fully aware that the quality of managers and coaches for young people in recent years is far beyond what we had in my day, and that is right.

The programmes that we sustain in disadvantaged areas where children would never have had access to sport are very important because they have a huge impact on the children's self-worth. I will articulate a strongly held view on the budget for sport next year and in years to come. We have a big distortion in the budget because last year more than €100 million went to the Lansdowne Road stadium. All of that money has been drawn down and as it is not a repetitive funding programme it leaves a huge gap. I will fight for the coherence that has been established between sport, tourism and the arts to maintain as best we can in difficult times the funding for sport.