Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of applications for grant aid from the proceeds of the National Lottery from the various groups throughout County Kildare; the extent to which it has been possible to favourably respond to such applications to date; the number and value of those outstanding; if and when it is his intention to make awards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34228/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the extent to which his Department will offer assistance to community based sporting groups involved in the provision of community based facilities aimed at addressing deficiencies in respect of active and passive recreational facilities throughout the country in general and specifically in County Kildare which have an ever growing requirement arising from population expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34233/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 283 together.

Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by my Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations. It is the main vehicle for development of sports facilities at local, regional and national level throughout the country.

Since 1998 the Sports Capital Programme has allocated over €725m to 7,401 sports facility projects. This investment has transformed the sporting landscape of Ireland with improved facilities in virtually every village, town and city. The facilities funded range from new equipment for the smallest clubs, to regional multi-sport centres and national centres of sporting excellence.

For a project to be considered for funding under the programme it must first meet a certain number of basic requirements such as showing evidence of the minimum required level of own funding or evidence of freehold or sufficiently long leasehold to ensure that the facility stays in sporting use. All projects that do not meet these minimum requirements are considered ineligible and are not assessed for funding.

When assessing applications that have met these minimum requirements the Department uses a number of criteria. Applications are scored according to how well they meet these criteria and then ranked in order of priority within their own county. The amount of funding available for distribution under the Programme in each county is determined on a pro-rata basis based on the 2006 Census of Population. This method of assessment and allocation ensures that all counties, including those with growing populations, receive proportionate levels of funding. However, if a county does not have a sufficient number of eligible projects it is of course not possible to allocate that county's share of the total allocations. In these cases the funding is distributed to projects elsewhere.

The 2008 programme was advertised on 13th and 14th of January and the deadline for receipt of applications was 29th February for paper-based applications and 7th March for online applications. Prior to the deadline for the 2008 programme a total of 44 applications were received from County Kildare seeking a total of €8,295,720 for projects totalling €13,542,722. I announced the allocations under the 2008 programme at the end of July and a list of the grant allocations, including €1,336,500 to 21 clubs in Kildare for 2008 together with allocations to projects in Co. Kildare under previous years allocations, is available on the Department's website at http://www.arts-sport-tourism.gov.ie/.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of bodies, groups or agencies to which his Department has awarded capital or other grant aid in the past 12 months; the way this compares with previous years awards; his expectations for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34229/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In the calendar year to date, the Department has estimated that capital or other grant aid has been awarded to approximately 1,000 bodies, groups and agencies. This number is expected to increase to over 1,050 by year end.

Details of the capital or other grant aid awarded in 2007 is set out on the Department's website www.dast.gov.ie.

It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number likely to receive capital or other grant aid in 2009, as, inter alia, some of the Department's funding schemes and programmes are demand led and are subject to the criteria and arrangements for the schemes and programmes in question and to the budgetary situation.