Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his proposals to support community based arts and sport related proposals throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20542/05]

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 sport clubs and to sporting and voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Between 1998 and 2004, €331.55 million was allocated under the programme to 4,273 projects throughout Ireland. The programme is advertised on an annual basis.

Applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. A total of 1,362 applications were received before that deadline. All of the applications received are currently being evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the 2005 grant allocations under the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.

The local authority swimming pool programme, which is also administered by my Department, provides grant assistance to local authorities for the construction of public swimming pools. This grant scheme has assisted or is assisting 55 local authority led pool projects throughout the country at the present time, of which 25 have either been completed or are currently under construction.

My Department's ACCESS scheme has, since 2001, provided funding for the development of arts and cultural facilities all around the country. One of the strands under the ACCESS scheme included community-based projects which could qualify for higher rates of grant aid. The total funding of €45.7 million available under the scheme has already been allocated.