Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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796. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of projects that scored 44 points or less in the recent capital sport programme allocations that were allocated funding; the lowest score a project had that was allocated funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31545/14]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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All applications received under the 2014 Sports Capital Programme were assessed by officials in the Department.  Every application was assessed by one official and reviewed by another official.   

Applications were first checked to ensure eligibility and eligible applications were then initially scored by officials against five criteria:

1 Likelihood of increasing participation and/or improving performance and sharing of facilities

2 Level of socio-economic disadvantage in the area

3 Technical merits of the project

4 Level of own funding available

5 Level of Sports Capital Programme funding received in the past.  

These criteria were designed to give higher scores to applications that will increase participation, where facilities will be shared, that were from designated disadvantaged areas, that had not received substantial funding in the past and that were ready to be progressed as soon as possible.

427 projects with a score of 44 or lower at initial assessment  were allocated funding.  The lowest scoring project at initial assessment that was allocated a grant was 10. 

In deciding the final allocations of funding to projects within each country Minister Varadkar and I had regard to a number of factors, including:

- The performance of each application during the assessment process

- Ensuring a geographical spread of projects within each county

- Ensuring an appropriate spread of projects between rural and urban areas within each county and

- Ensuring that there was a spread of projects among different sports.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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797. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the objective criteria used to assess applications under the capital sports programme; if all grants were awarded under this programme based on these objective criteria; the number of cases in which he overruled the recommendations of his officials in relation to grants either in total or partially; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31546/14]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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All applications received under the 2014 Sports Capital Programme were assessed by officials in the Department.  Every application was assessed by one official and reviewed by another member of staff.   

Applications were first checked to ensure eligibility and eligible applications were then initially scored by officials against five criteria:

1 Likelihood of increasing participation and/or improving performance and sharing of facilities

2 Level of socio-economic disadvantage in the area

3 Technical merits of the project

4 Level of own funding available

5 Level of Sports Capital Programme funding received in the past.  

These criteria were designed to give higher scores to applications that will increase participation, where facilities will be shared, that were from designated disadvantaged areas, that had not received substantial funding in the past and that were ready to be progressed as soon as possible.  Officials did not recommend allocations. 

In deciding the final allocations of funding to projects within each country Minister Varadkar and I had regard to a number of factors, including:

- The performance of each application during the assessment process

- Ensuring a geographical spread of projects within each county

- Ensuring an appropriate spread of projects between rural and urban areas within each county and

- Ensuring that there was a spread of projects among different sports.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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798. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the score achieved by an application by a club (details supplied) under the capital sports; the number of groups and clubs in Galway with a lower score that were awarded grants under the present round of allocations and their names; the score achieved by each of these clubs and the names of the clubs; the reason the club was not awarded a grant under the scheme if clubs with a lower score were; if this matter will be referred to the Ombudsman for examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31547/14]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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All applications received under the 2014 Sports Capital Programme were assessed by officials in the Department.  Every application was assessed by one official and reviewed by another official.

Applications were first checked to ensure eligibility and eligible applications were then initially scored by officials against five criteria:

1 Likelihood of increasing participation and/or improving performance and sharing of facilities

2 Level of socio-economic disadvantage in the area

3 Technical merits of the project

4 Level of own funding available

5 Level of Sports Capital Programme funding received in the past

These criteria were designed to give higher scores to applications that will increase participation, where facilities will be shared, that were from designated disadvantaged areas, that had not received substantial funding in the past and that were ready to be progressed as soon as possible.

The club referred to by the Deputy achieved a score of 44 under the initial assessment process.  The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table.

In deciding the final allocations of funding to projects within each country Minister Varadkar and I had regard to a number of factors, including:

- The performance of each application during the assessment process

- Ensuring a geographical spread of projects within each county

- Ensuring an appropriate spread of projects between rural and urban areas within each county and

- Ensuring that there was a spread of projects among different sports