Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport when the review of the Sports Capital Programme will be published; if her attention has been drawn to a recent programme (details supplied) which illustrates the way in which certain areas received more funding than others; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20680/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Sports Capital Programme allocates funding to sporting and to voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised in the national print media.

All applications received under the programme are assessed on an individual basis by the Department in accordance with a detailed set of assessment criteria as specified in the guidelines, terms and conditions that accompany the application form for the programme.

These criteria include the likelihood to increase participation and performance in sport, priority of proposed facility vis a vis existing facilities, disadvantaged status, level of own funding available etc.

Every effort is made to achieve a balanced geographical spread of funds throughout the country, while also affording priority to projects in areas of social and economic disadvantage, and facilitating investment in facilities of regional and national strategic importance. In this regard, the assessment process also takes into account factors such as the number and quality of the applications received, the amount of funding being sought by each applicant as well as the most recent Census of Population figures.

The level of funding for any county is based on the quality, number and size of the applications, and the Sports Capital Programme has been of benefit to clubs and sports organisations in every county.

A total of €725m has been allocated in sports capital funding since 1998 to 7,400 sports facility projects.

While no decision has been made on the timing of the next round of the Programme, €48 million has been provided in my Department's Vote in the 2010 Estimates to cover costs being incurred by the Department this year as a result of sports capital grants which were awarded in earlier years.

Work on the National Sports Facilities Strategy 2010-2015, which will provide an improved policy platform for any future rounds of the Programme, is at an advanced stage of preparation in my Department. I expect to receive the draft Strategy shortly. Any future rounds will also be informed by the national audit of local sports facilities that is currently underway.