Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will clarify the details of the recent round of funding for sports facilities at the University of Limerick and Grove Island Leisure Centre in the city; the facilities this money will be used to provide; if the funding is specifically directed towards helping athletes prepare for the 2012 London Olympics; if further rounds of funding are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5553/07]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the development of the list of sporting facilities that could be used by visiting athletes in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics; if he will set a date for the fast tracking of the facilities that are required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5544/07]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 30 together.

With London 2012 fast approaching, athletes and teams from other countries may consider using Ireland as a base to prepare and train in the years prior to the Olympic Games. Ireland possesses the advantages of having the same climatic conditions and being in the same time zone as London, as well as being within an hour by air travel. Furthermore, this country will avoid most of the media hype that one often finds in the host country.

In order to ensure that Ireland benefits from the proximity of the Games, I established a Task Force in August 2006 comprising high level representatives from the sporting, business, tourism and cultural sectors. This group will work to ensure that Ireland is an attractive training base for Olympic athletes leading up to 2012 and that Ireland also benefits from the tourism, business and cultural opportunities arising from the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympics Games in London.

If Ireland is to be attractive to potential participating athletes, access to high quality sporting and ancillary facilities must be available. In this regard, my Department has undertaken a London 2012 sports infrastructural audit of facilities that might be suitable to develop to meet the training needs of overseas teams preparing for 2012. Department officials have been in touch with National Governing Bodies of Sport and third level institutions in order to establish the type, range and suitability of the sports facilities available for this purpose.

What is currently being undertaken therefore is a data gathering exercise to gauge the level of facilities Ireland has to offer to potential visiting athletes. This audit process will be completed shortly in line with the standards set out by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG). We will then have a clearer picture of the facilities likely to be attractive to participating athletes in the build-up to London 2012 and my Department will then examine whether investment may be required to bring these facilities up to the required standard. Any expenditure on facilities will be aimed not only at attracting teams but primarily at ensuring a lasting legacy for Irish athletes and communities.

In December last, I announced sports capital funding allocations totalling €14.33 million to 27 organisations throughout the country towards the development of a number of key strategic national and regional sports facilities as well as funding to enhance the quality and range of equipment available to a number of national governing bodies to assist in increasing participation in those sports. These allocations were in addition to the €75 million allocated to 797 projects under the 2007 sports capital programme.

The funding announced in December last included allocations of €1 million to both Limerick City Council's Grove Island Sports and Leisure Centre and to the development of University of Limerick's Sports Campus.

The allocation of €1 million to the Grove Island centre was one of three such grants (the others being to Letterkenny and to Tallaght) to assist with the costs of providing major municipal, multisport centres attached to Local Authority swimming pools. The provision of this funding was aimed at enhancing and expanding the range of and quality of local and regional clubs, groups and individuals to participate in a variety of sports and physical recreation activities.

As part of the Local Authority swimming pool programme, €3.8m has been awarded to Limerick City Council towards the development of a swimming pool at Grove Island.

The University of Limerick has an admirable track record in attracting international calibre sports people to train on the existing campus facilities and I am confident that the additional facilities planned for the campus in respect of which I allocated a grant of €1m in 2006 will play an important part in helping athletes prepare for future international competitions including the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.