Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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397. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a grant application has been received from a club (details supplied); if not, if a request for financial assistance to expand facilities at the club has been received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22607/19]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Two separate applications have been received for sports capital assistance from the club referred to by the Deputy.

The first application was made under the 2018 Sports Capital Programme for a grant towards the development of the clubs playing facilities. The 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme closed for applications on Friday, 19 October last. By that deadline, a record 2,337 applications were submitted seeking a total of €162 million in funding. 186 of these applications were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7 million in allocations to 170 projects were announced on 17 January.

619 equipment only applications were assessed next and 466 allocations with a value of €9.8 million were announced to these organisations last week. Work is now underway in assessing the remaining applications for capital works including the application from the club referred to.

For the first time, applicants who have submitted incorrect documentation under this round are being given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. While there will be no undue delay in completing the assessment process, in view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a number of months to have all applications assessed. Accordingly, I expect that it may be the third quarter of this year before the full set of allocations under this current round of the programme are announced.

An application for financial assistance for the development of the club's facilities has also been submitted under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund by Cork County Council. The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund opened for applications on 19 November 2018 and the closing date for receipt of applications was 17 April 2019. 72 applications were received in total and my officials are currently undertaking an initial assessment of them.

In view of the detailed information contained in each application, I am advised that it will take a number of months to have all of them assessed. Accordingly, I expect that it will be towards the end of this year before allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund are announced.

Full details of all applications received under both schemes are available on the Department's website.