Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 373: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of applications for funding under the sports capital grant over the past five years; the number of applications from County Kildare; the number of successful applications from County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46786/08]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 375: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the funding not drawn down from the sports capital grants scheme over each of the past five years; the funding not drawn down in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46790/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 375 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.

Information in relation to the number of applications received under the sports capital programme nationally and in Kildare, and the number of successful applications from Kildare, in each of the last five years and the amount of outstanding allocations as at the end of October is set out in the table below:

The amount of funding allocated to clubs and organisations in Kildare over the period 2004 to 2008 but not yet drawn down is almost €6.5 million.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 376: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason a club (details supplied) in County Kildare has not been able to draw down capital lottery funding to allow their club carry out necessary works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46791/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by the Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The aim of the Programme is to maximise participation in sport through the provision of modern high quality, safe, well-designed and sustainable facilities and sports equipment. The provision of such facilities allows for increased numbers to participate in sport.

A grant of €120,000 was provisionally allocated to the project in question under the 2007 Sports Capital Programme. A number of queries have been raised by my Department in relation to the procurement of works carried out in relation to this project. The club responded to these queries last week and the matter is currently being considered. It is expected that a letter will issue to the organisation in question later this week.