Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 599: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding approved and the amount actually paid to an organisation (details supplied) under the RAPID Programme. [11410/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within 46 designated RAPID areas nationally. The Sports Capital Top-up Scheme has been operated annually with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism since 2004 under which my Department provides an additional grant of up to 30% of the funds allocated under the Sports Capital Programme, subject to an overall limit of 80% of the project cost. This scheme is one of several schemes I introduced in 2004 to provide financial support for small-scale projects in RAPID areas which are endorsed by the RAPID Area Implementation Teams. These schemes are operated and co-funded with other Departments and Agencies.

Under the 2004 Sports Capital Programme the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism allocated €190,000 to the organisation in question. In addition, my Department allocated an additional €57,000 under the Sport Capital RAPID Top-up Scheme. Following completion of the project, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism paid the organisation €190,000 in April 2007. My Department paid the organisation the Top-up grant of €57,000 in October 2007.