Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the position regarding the drawdown of certain sports capital grants to an organisation (details supplied) in Cork [35800/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by my Department funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations for the capital costs of providing sports facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment at local, regional and national level throughout the country.

The organisation in question was awarded grants under the 2006 and 2007 Sports Capital Programme of €175,000 and €70,000 respectively. The organisation also received a RAPID top-up in 2006 of €52,500. The grant allocation was subject to the terms and conditions of the Programme, which includes the execution of a deed of covenant and charge.

A deed of covenant and charge provides, inter alia, for a refund of the grant in the event of the facility not continuing to be used for the purpose for which the grant was allocated. The Department's legal adviser, the Chief State Solicitor's Office – CSSO - deals with the grantee's solicitor in ensuring that these issues are satisfactorily resolved before grants can be paid. The current position is that the Chief State Solicitor's Office is awaiting for documents to be submitted by the grantee's solicitor.