John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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8. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the criteria that are applied when deciding the way national lottery funding is distributed within organisations here; the proportion of these funds allocated to sports organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36800/14]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The distribution of National Lottery funding to Irish organisations and the criteria that is applied for the distribution of those funds are matters for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I have no function in either the distribution of the National Lottery funds or the development of the criteria for this.

I understand that revenue proceeds from the National Lottery are applied to part-fund the Exchequer allocations to a specified range of expenditure subheads across various Votes. Details of the total Exchequer allocations to the relevant Lottery supported subheads are published in the annual Revised Estimates for Public Services.

Two subheads on my Department's Vote are part-funded by the proceeds of the National Lottery. Subhead D3 is the allocation for Grants for sporting bodies and the provision of Sports and Recreational Facilities. Subhead D5 is the Grant-in-aid for the Irish Sports Council.

Subhead D3 funding is used to pay out Sports Capital Grants. The total Exchequer allocation for this in 2014 is €23m. Subhead D5 funding is the grant given annually to the Irish Sports Council to fund a wide range of programmes aimed at increasing participation and raising standards in Irish sport and to fund National Governing Bodies of sport to enable them to develop their sport in a strategic manner. The total Exchequer allocation for the Irish Sports Council in 2014 is €42.5m.

It is important to note that these programmes are only part-funded by the Lottery and that the remaining expenditure comes from general Exchequer funding.  In addition, the Revised Estimates do not specify the precise amount of National Lottery funding in each individual subhead.