Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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One of the stated aims and objectives of the SCP is to prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of facilities. Since 2003, at the initiative of this Department and in consultation with DCRGA, it was decided that areas that have been designated by Government for special support through the schemes administered by DCRGA, i.e. RAPID, Local Drugs Task Force and CLÁR areas, should be treated as disadvantaged under the SCP.

Projects identified as being located in areas designated as disadvantaged, or as serving disadvantaged areas, are targeted and prioritised in a number of ways. They are permitted to have a lower level of minimum own funding available (20% for projects in CLÁR areas and 10% for RAPID and Local Drug Task Force areas in comparison with the normal 30%) towards their project, and they may also receive extra marks during the assessment process. Successful projects under the SCP in RAPID areas may qualify to receive additional top-up funding of up to 30% of their SCP allocation, payable by DCRGA, in addition to their sports capital allocation.

Through these measures the SCP has invested over €146 million in designated disadvantaged areas. In turn, top-up arrangements from the D/CGRA in RAPID and CLÁR areas has allowed further allocations of more than €22 million to be made. No decision has been made on the timing of future rounds of the Programme.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I presume that the Deputy is referring to the Sports Capital Programme. No round of the Programme was advertised in 2009 and therefore no applications have been received this year by my Department from sporting or community groups in County Kildare.