Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reasoning behind the cut in the voted capital funding for sports and recreation services in budget 2017; and the agencies or initiatives that will have their budget reduced in 2017 as a result of this cut. [32766/16]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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​There is a reduction in the 2017 Budget Estimate capital allocation for sport when compared to the 2016 capital allocation.  This is mainly due to a reduction in Sport Ireland's capital allocation for the development of the National Sports Campus and reflects the fact that construction of Phase I of the National Indoor Arena is scheduled for completion in December 2016. Approximately €22m was allocated for this project in 2016, which is not required in 2017 due to completion of the project this year.

As a result of the Budget, a total of €52m is being provided in capital funding for sport in 2017. This will meet existing commitments under previous rounds of the Sports Capital Programme, commitments to Pairc Ui Chaoimh, the Kerry Sports Academy at IT Tralee, existing commitments relating to the development of the National Sports Campus and under the Local Authority Swimming Pools Programme. As was confirmed in the 2017 Estimates Statement, it will also allow for a new round of the Sports Capital Programme to be opened for applications shortly, with the announcement of allocations expected in 2017.