Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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51. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he has evaluated the sporting and recreational infrastructure throughout the country with a view to a continuation of the programme of providing facilities locally and nationally to ensure all communities throughout the country have reasonable access to such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22138/17]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Sports Capital Programme (SCP) is the Government's primary vehicle to support the development of sports facilities and the purchase of sports equipment. It aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to developing sports and physical recreation facilities throughout the country. On 21 December last, we announced that €30 million is being made available under the 2017 SCP. The application process closed on the 24th February and all of the 2320 applications received are in the process of being assessed by officials in my Department. Given the number of applications received and the detailed information submitted, it will take a number of months to complete the assessment process with allocations not expected to be announced until September.

While there has been no recent evaluation of the SCP, work is ongoing on the drafting of a new National Sports Policy Framework, which Minister Ross and I expect to present to Government in before the summer break. The question of the strategic provision of facilities in order to ensure access for all communities across the country is a key issue, particularly in the context of the Government's commitment to continued investment in the SCP. The National Sports Policy Framework will consider the optimal approach to ensure access to facilities nationally, regionally and locally. The matter of a nationwide audit of sports facilities is also being considered in that context. Furthermore, work on a detailed Value for Money review of the SCP with input from the Department of Public Expenditure will be commencing later this year.