Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the extent of grant aid awarded by him in 2007 to the various sporting or community groups here from the proceeds of the national lottery or other sources; the full extent to which such funding is available to him for similar purposes in 2008; when he expects to allocate such funds in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24588/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the sports capital programme, which is administered by the Department and part funded by the National Lottery, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The 2007 round of the programme allocated €85 million to 935 separate projects. Applications for funding under the 2008 programme were invited by the deadline of 29th February for paper-based applications and 7th March for on-line applications. All applications received before the relevant deadlines are currently being evaluated and I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.

Under the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, which is also administered by the Department, grant aid is provided to local authorities towards the capital costs of a new or replacement public swimming pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool provided by local authorities themselves or by other bodies where the application for capital funding is supported by the local authority. There is provision of €184m in the National Development Plan 2007-2013 in respect of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme. In 2007 a sum of €27.78m was paid out in grant aid and a sum of €20m has been allocated to be spent in 2008. The launch of the new programme will be a matter for discussion as part of the estimates process between the Department and the Department of Finance.

The Department also supports the provision of new arts facilities around the country through the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme (ACCESS). A total of almost €86m has been granted to 120 projects across the country under the scheme, of which €32.5 million was allocated in 2007. A further €10.29m was allocated in 2008 to ACCESS II Reserve List projects. All of the available funds under the current ACCESS round have now been fully allocated. The Department is currently examining the option of a further round of the ACCESS programme.