Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 711: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if a formal application has been placed with his Department on the potential development of a sports centre in Carrigaline, County Cork; and if so, the status of such an application. [1773/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 is advertised on an annual basis.

Applications for funding under the 2006 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 27 and 28 November last. The closing date for receipt of applications was Friday last, 20 January, by which time over 1,300 applications were received. Given that large volume of applications, the complexity of processing their information and the fact that the Deputy's description of the project does not include an organisation name or project name, it is not possible at this early stage of the 2006 programme to state definitely whether such an application has been submitted. I have asked officials from the sports unit of my Department to contact the Deputy as soon as a definite answer can be given and perhaps the Deputy might forward to the sports unit any further information he can give on the project which might assist in identifying it.

If an application for the project in question has been received, it will be evaluated, as all applications are, against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.