Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will make a statement on the case of persons (details supplied) in County Limerick. [4278/10]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will make a statement regarding the case of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [4308/10]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 112 together.

As I have previously informed the House, special funding of €2.5 million was allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the appointment of 20 Sports Inclusion Development Officers (SIDOs) in Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) in 2008. The SIDOs were appointed on two-year contracts to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity.

A network of 33 LSPs have been set up throughout the country by the Irish Sports Council (ISC) to coordinate and promote sport at local level especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls and women, people with disabilities, unemployed people, and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities. The special dormant accounts funding was in addition to the annual funding provided to the LSPs by the ISC for programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing participation in recreational sport.

Of the €2.5 million allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the SIDO scheme, €800,000 was provided through my Department's Vote in 2008 and over €1.3 million in 2009. The final provision of €395,000 from the dormant accounts allocation is included in the 2010 Vote of my Department.

The continued funding of the SIDO scheme is being considered by the ISC in the context of the distribution of its budget for 2010.