Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 422: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will make particular or specific allocations to address the issues of social deprivation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22443/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will give particular consideration to the allocation of funding to address social and recreational needs in inner city areas such as north-central Dublin, with particular reference to the provision of after-school recreational activities and facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22444/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 423 together.

While it does not fall within the direct ambit of the Department to allocate Voted Exchequer funds for the specific purpose of addressing social deprivation a number of the Department's various funding schemes and programmes in the sports and arts sectors contribute to this goal indirectly by providing financial assistance for the development of arts and sports infrastructures at the local, regional and national levels. These schemes and programmes have particular regard to applications for funding in respect of disadvantaged areas throughout the country.

For example, the Department's Sports Capital Programme (SCP) targets and prioritises projects identified as being located in areas designated as disadvantaged, or as serving disadvantaged areas, including RAPID and Local Drugs Task Force areas. In particular, such projects are permitted to have a lower level of minimum own funding available towards their projects, and they can also receive extra marks during the assessment process. Through these measures, the SCP has invested more than €146 million in designated disadvantaged areas. Under the 2008 SCP, 265 projects from disadvantaged areas were allocated funding of €16.8 million. Full details of these projects are available on the Department's website at www.dast.gov.ie.