Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The 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. Allocations under the 2007 Sports Capital Programme totalling €85 million were announced in April last, including a provisional allocation to the club in question of €80,000 towards an all-weather synthetic playing pitch. My Department wrote to the club on April 24th 2007 verifying the amount of the provisional allocation and the purpose for which it was being allocated and detailing the various requirements in order for the grant to be formally approved and ultimately drawn down.

Following receipt of that letter, a representative of the club was in contact with my Department seeking verification that the allocation would cover resurfacing of a pitch. My officials confirmed that this was the case. If the club has any further queries at any stage of the grant approval or drawdown processes, it should contact the Sports Unit of my Department.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will endeavour to secure funding required by Dublin City Council for the compulsory purchase of a field (details supplied) in Dublin 6 in order to provide a public amenity including a park with sporting facilities. [19024/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, is the primary means of providing Government funding for sports facilities. Applications for funding under the programme must be directly related to the provision of sport and recreational sport facilities and be of a capital nature, which, for the purpose of the programme, is defined as: expenditure on the improvement or construction of an asset and includes any costs directly incurred in this process; and purchase of permanently based sports equipment, i.e. it is securely housed, and will remain in use for 5 years or more.

The sports capital programme does not assist in the purchase of sites or premises. Should the local authority purchase the field in question, it is open to it to apply for funding under my Department's sports capital programme towards the provision of sporting facilities to be contained in the field.