Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if grants are available to assist a club (details supplied) in County Wicklow. [18785/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme does not assist in the purchase or rental of premises. The programme is advertised on an annual basis and applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December 2004. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. However, my Department did not receive an application for funding from the organisation in question under the 2005 programme.

The organisation might like to note that section 847(a) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for a scheme for tax relief for relevant donations to an approved sports body for the funding of sports capital projects. Approved sports status can be awarded by my Department for suitable capital projects, allowing for tax relief to be claimed by a club on donations towards the project that exceed the minimum qualifying threshold of €250 per annum. Full details of the tax relief scheme are available on my Department's website at www.dast.gov.ie.