Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the funding approved by him in respect of sporting or recreation grant aid towards the provision of buildings or other facilities on a county basis in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28591/05]

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.

A total of 1,362 applications were received under the 2005 sports capital programme. All were evaluated by my Department in accordance with the assessment criteria published in the guidelines, terms and conditions document that accompanied the application form for the programme. Following completion of this evaluation, I announced provisional grant allocations totalling €54.385 million to 626 projects on 21 July 2005.

The total provisional grant allocations by county are as follows:

My Department also administers the local authority swimming pool programme, which provides grant aid towards the capital costs of a new pool, a replacement pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool. The programme provides for a maximum grant level of 80% of eligible costs, 90% in the case of disadvantaged areas, subject to a maximum of €3.8 million.

So far in 2005, I have approved grant aid of €3.8 million to two projects — the replacement of the swimming pool in Monaghan town and the provision of a new pool in Ballybunion, County Kerry.