Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am delighted to have the timely opportunity to address this House on the subject of the sports capital programme. Senators will be aware that on 28 March I was delighted to launch the first round of the programme since 2008. The programme is the main channel of Government support for developing sports facilities and purchasing sports equipment for sports clubs and organisations across the country. The programme aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to developing sports and physical recreation facilities throughout the country. In particular, its objectives are to assist voluntary and community organisations, the national governing bodies of sport, VECs and local authorities to develop high-quality, safe, well-designed and sustainable facilities in appropriate locations and to provide appropriate equipment 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 multipurpose use of local, regional and national sports facilities by clubs, community organisations and the national governing bodies of sport.

While I was delighted to have secured funding of €30 million for allocations under this round of the programme, funding which shows the Government's commitment to encourage more people to take part in sport, the level of demand for grants will far outstrip supply. We will not know how much funding is being sought until after the deadline of 1 June, but I can confidently predict that we will have requests for funding totalling hundreds of millions of euro. This shows great enthusiasm for the sports capital programme, but it also means we will only be able to allocate a fraction of the funding sought.

While the overall level of funding distributed through the sports capital programme is sizeable, what is more important is what this achieves on the ground. Every pitch drained, every sports hall refurbished and every piece of equipment bought allows an increasing number of people to participate in sport to their maximum potential. We are all aware that sports clubs have a very important part to play in society. With so many unhealthy distractions for young people today, it is very heartening to see the great efforts being made to encourage young people to get involved in sport. Participation in sport is good for one's health, it helps build confidence and gives young people a sense of their worth. It really is a win-win situation for everybody. Individuals benefit physically and mentally, and communities benefit by having people involved in healthy pursuits that divert attention and energies away from less savoury activities. The country benefits by people living healthier and more productive lifestyles.

It is beyond doubt that when my officials begin assessing all of the valid applications, they will face a very difficult task. That has always been the case, but this year it will be more difficult than ever. This is the first round of the sports capital programme since 2008, and clubs and community groups have been waiting for this moment with much anticipation. In every parish in every county, there are people giving their time and energy to sports activities and many of these people are working very hard to provide or improve facilities that are fit for purpose and accessible. We would love to support every deserving project, but the harsh reality of life is that there are limits to what we can do. That is why expectations ought to be realistic. The outcome of this is that there is a huge demand for funding. While it is great to have secured funding of €30 million, when it is spread out across all 26 counties there will be a large number of disappointed applicants.

This time around, the programme will also be open to far more clubs and groups than ever before because the strict requirement on land ownership has been relaxed. Heretofore, all applicants had to own their land or have it on a long lease. Clubs that could not meet this requirement were ineligible for funding. This time, we have decided these clubs will now be able to apply for grants of up to €25,000 to upgrade facilities. I hope that the effect of this change in policy will be most beneficial to clubs in poorer areas. These clubs typically do not own their own land, nor do they have long leases or any real prospect of buying land in the future. These clubs will now have to provide only a letter of comfort from their landlord stating he or she is happy to allow the club to use the facility for the next five years.

In line with the programme for Government, this year's sports capital programme will have a stronger focus on projects which increase active participation in sport, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Under the programme, pitches will be drained, floodlights will be installed, sports halls will be improved and dressing rooms will be built. Thanks to these grants, people will have more opportunities than ever to become and stay active in a wide range of sports. It will also have a positive impact on job creation in construction and related activities. As many of the grants will be awarded to clubs in rural areas, this boost to the local economy will be very welcome and will have a knock-on effect throughout.

Another notable improvement in this year's programme is that the minimum amount of matching funding that clubs and organisations will need to provide themselves in order to apply for a grant has been halved since the previous round of the programme in 2008. Under this round of the programme, groups in RAPID areas will need to raise only a minimum of 5% of the project cost; groups in CLÁR areas will need to raise only a minimum of 10% of the project cost; and groups in non-disadvantaged areas will need to raise only a minimum of 15% of the project cost. These are the minimum amounts needed to apply. Clubs in these areas that provide more than these minimum amounts will improve their prospects of receiving a grant. Funding is allocated to applicants based on a combination of factors, including population, the quality of applications received, geographical balance and the need to provide a variety of sports facilities.

In assessing applications, the Department must consider whether the projects are realistic in terms of scale, costs and grant assistance sought. This year, the maximum grant available for local club or organisation projects will be €300,000. The rationale for this limit is to try to focus applicants on being more realistic in their projects. Of course, higher amounts may be allocated to national and regional projects, but with €4 million available for non-local projects, the number of grants above €300,000 will be quite low. I hope that all applicants will be mindful of the amount of funding available and tailor their applications accordingly. Ambition, in itself, is a laudable trait, but when spending money it needs to be tempered with realism.

My staff, in assessing applications, will do their utmost to ensure that we achieve a geographic spread of funding and a spread across a range of sports. The emphasis, as I have already said, will be very much on participation. This is, after all, the name of the game. It is great to watch exciting sports events on television, such as last Saturday's Heineken Cup Final between Leinster and Ulster or the start of the GAA inter-county championships. I congratulate Leinster on a magnificent achievement in Twickenham and Katie Taylor on winning a world championship for four consecutive years and on qualifying for the Olympic Games. She is a truly wonderful ambassador for sport, women's sport in particular.