Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

I will take this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy Hanafin, and I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this important issue. Given the benefits associated with sporting activities, the Government regards expenditure on sport as important for the social and economic development of the country. These benefits arise in a wide range of areas including health and well-being, social and cultural development, education, personal development, tourism and the economy. It can play a valuable role in tackling social exclusion and this is particularly true for young people.

It is heartening to see today's media coverage of a special Eurobarometer survey indicating that Irish people now rank among the EU's keenest participants in sport. We are also among the most dedicated to volunteering to support sporting activities. The sports capital programme, which is part funded from the proceeds of the national lottery, is the primary means of granting Government support for the provision of sports facilities at national, regional and local level.

Under the sports capital programme, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism provides funding to voluntary, sporting and community organisations for the provision of sports and recreational facilities. More than 7,400 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to more than €730 million. The programme has, in the past ten years, transformed the sporting landscape of Ireland with improvements in the quality and quantity of sporting facilities in virtually every village, town and city. The facilities funded range from the smallest clubs to national centres of sporting excellence.

The aims and objectives of the programme are to foster an integrated and planned approach to the development of sports and physical recreation facilities throughout the country; to assist voluntary and community organisations to develop high quality, safe, well-designed, accessible and sustainable facilities in appropriate locations to help maximise participation in sport and physical recreation; to prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of sports facilities; and to encourage the multi-purpose use of local, regional and national sports facilities by clubs, community organisations and national sporting governing bodies.

The programme has supported the provision or improvement of landmark national and regional stadia such as Thomond Park, home to twice European rugby champions, Munster, and Semple Stadium, the home of hurling for many. Such facilities provide a platform for our most talented athletes to perform, which in turn inspires new generations of young people to aspire to match the sporting prowess of their heroes. They are also an important support to our tourism industry as they draw visitors from Britain, Europe and further afield, who come to Ireland to follow their teams in action.

Senators will be aware of the many benefits that derive from the programme in their locality. They have no doubt witnessed the value of the programme in assisting local clubs in meeting the sporting needs of their areas. In recent years, the programme has targeted clubs in areas of social disadvantage. By doing this, the Government is supporting the provision of facilities where there may be little prospect of such facilities being provided by the communities acting alone. These facilities provide an opportunity for participation in sport which leads to healthier lifestyles and a reduced likelihood of younger people drifting into anti-social behaviour.

It is a common misconception that the programme has been discontinued. While a new round of awards has not been approved this year, due to financial constraints, nonetheless the programme is in fact very active with more than 1,550 payments made last year with a total value of more than €58.7 million. This year it is again business as usual for clubs and sports bodies allocated grants in previous rounds of the programme with €48 million provided in the estimates to cover the payment of previously allocated grants. No decision has yet been made about the timing of further rounds of the programme, which would be dependent in any event on the availability of resources.

Senators will also be aware that an audit of existing sports facilities is under way. The results of this audit will also inform our future decisions on sports capital grants.