Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his Department will make moneys available from a separate fund for community developments outside of the Lotto structures. [32169/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides direct grant support to local and community developments under three schemes: the Sports Capital Programme, which allocates funding for the construction or improvement of sports facilities and the purchase of sports equipment, and which is part funded by proceeds of the National Lottery; the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme which provides Exchequer funding to local authorities, and local/community bodies supported by local authorities, towards the cost of providing new swimming pools or refurbishing existing pools; and the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme (ACCESS), which provides Exchequer funding towards the provision of arts and culture infrastructure.

It is open to any local or community group, club or association to apply for grant support under these schemes, in accordance with the relevant application criteria and terms and conditions of these schemes. As such, I have no plans to introduce a grant scheme dedicated to supporting community groups alone.