Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 498: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received an application from a club (details supplied) in Dublin 6 seeking funding from the sports capital grant programme; if his attention has been drawn to the very important role that this long-established club plays in the community and the critical importance of the receipt of the grant to enable it to participate in the upcoming 2005 ICC world cup qualifying tournament set to take place in Dublin in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1183/05]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 501: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if support will be given to Leinster Cricket Club's application for the sports capital grant programme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1567/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 501 together.

In January 2004 I met representatives of the Irish Cricket Union, ICU, which is the national governing body for cricket in Ireland. At this meeting the ICU outlined its plans for hosting the prestigious International Cricket Council, ICC, trophy in 2005. This tournament will involve 12 international teams competing for five qualifying places for the 2007 world cup. The ICU submitted details of the ten cricket clubs that it anticipated at that time would be involved in hosting matches and training sessions during the tournament. This list did not include Leinster Cricket Club. I advised the ICC that the clubs in question should make applications under the sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department and allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the State.

The programme is advertised on an annual basis. A total of 1,304 applications were received before the closing date for the 2004 sports capital programme, including ten applications from the cricket clubs involved in the ICC trophy. There was no application from Leinster Cricket Club under the programme. Following the assessment of all applications, I announced provisional grant allocations on 7 May 2004, including funding of €264,000 to ten cricket clubs in respect of preparations for hosting the ICC trophy in 2005. It is my hope that the development of these cricket grounds will provide a boost to cricket in this country and will assist in the successful hosting of a major international cricket event. Leinster Cricket Club was not among the clubs originally identified by the Irish Cricket Union as being involved in hosting the ICC trophy.

The 2005 sports capital programme was advertised on 5 and 6 December 2004. The deadline for receipt in my Department of application forms and all necessary supporting documentation is 5 p.m. on Friday, 4 February 2005. My Department has not received an application from Leinster Cricket Club but should one be received before the deadline it will be assessed, as all applications, in accordance with the criteria detailed in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme.