Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of applications for funding received under the recent grant announcement by Inland Waterways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46049/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by Waterways Ireland that the 2011 Sponsorship Programme was advertised the week beginning 1st November 2010. The Waterways Ireland Sponsorship Programme aims to increase participation levels and frequency of use of the waterways under its remit by supporting a wide range of events.

By supporting events through the Sponsorship Programme, Waterways Ireland assists in bringing tourists to the waterways and their hinterland and thus provides an economic stimulus to the communities living along the waterways.

Support is provided to events on the basis of:

location and nature of the event (which must be water-based on one of the seven waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland);

potential of the event to introduce new users to the waterways in an active capacity, i.e. not merely as spectators;

development of non-established events;

encouraging cross-border participation;

even distribution of sponsorship across all activities and all waterways; and

inclusion of participants from specified groups (such as people with dependents, people with a disability and members of the Traveller community) and from people of different ages, political opinion, race, religious belief, gender, marital status, and sexual orientation.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications for sponsorship was Monday 13th December 2010 at 3.00 p.m. and assessment of received applications will take place in the coming weeks. I am arranging for the Deputy to be advised in due course as to the number of applications that were received in total.