Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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260. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason funding was refused to Dublin City Council under the Sports Capital Programme for work at Brickfields Park, Bushy Park, and St Anne's Park when the Chief State Solicitor's office has confirmed that his Department is fully aware that the council's titles are capable of supporting a charge registered or unregistered title and, accordingly, are suitable for grants from the National Lottery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26109/13]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The applications under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme from Dublin City Council for projects at Brickfields Park and Bushy Park were invalid for 3 separate reasons: 

1. the Council did not provide the Department with the required evidence of title to the properties on which the proposed projects were to be located;

2. professionally prepared quotations were not provided; and

3. the application forms did not include an original signature.

All of these requirements were set out in the published guide to filling out the application form for the 2012 Sports Capital Programme.  Letters setting out these reasons were sent to Dublin City Council.  Dublin City Council's application for works at St Anne's Park was successful under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme and was allocated €21,540. Ten allocations to Dublin City Council were made under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme with a total value of €810,000.

The Department is reviewing the operation of the 2012 Sports Capital Programme.  This review has included discussions with the Chief State Solicitor's Office on the title requirements to provide security for the State's investment.  It is always the Department's aim to make the Programme as accessible as possible to the maximum number of applicants while also not exposing the State's expenditure to unnecessary risk.  The results of this review will contribute to the design of any future rounds of the Programme.