Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of allocations from the proceeds of the National Lottery to County Kildare in the year 2006; his expected expenditure under these headings in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12100/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the degree to which he expects to increase expenditure by his Department from the proceeds of the National Lottery in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12101/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the degree to which he expects to award grant aid from the proceeds of the National Lottery to the various eligible projects throughout the country; his projected expenditure in 2007 under this heading; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12102/07]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 to 206, inclusive, together.

The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, is the primary means of providing funding to sporting and community organisations towards the provision of sporting facilities at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis.

Payments in respect of allocations under the sports capital programme and of other sports capital grants such as those towards the establishment of key regional and national facilities and to national governing bodies of sport are made from the national lottery-funded C1 subhead of my Department's Vote.

The amount of grant aid allocated under the subhead to County Kildare in the year 2006 was €1,821,500.

The 2007 sports capital programme was advertised in the Press on 15 and 16 October last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 24 November 2006. All applications received before the deadline are 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 grant allocations for the programme, including those for County Kildare, in the coming weeks.

The total amount provided for in the subhead for payments of sports capital grants in 2007 is €63,092,000. It is not possible to state at this stage how much of the subhead provision will be paid to grantees from County Kildare in 2007 as payments are dependent on grantees themselves progressing or completing their projects and satisfying the conditions for grant payments as outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the sports capital programme.