Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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98. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a sports capital grant allocated to a sports complex (details supplied) in 2007 was drawn down; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24590/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The organisation referred to by the Deputy has been allocated a total of €210,000 under 2 rounds of the Sports Capital Programme.  A grant of €90,000 was allocated in 2002 and this grant has been fully drawn down. 

The most recent grant of €120,000 was allocated in 2007 and remains fully outstanding.  Recently, my Department and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office have been in contact with the organisation and their solicitors with a view to finalising the legal instruments required to allow the grant to be drawn down. In this regard, the organisation has been informed that the outstanding matters need to be finalised before the end of this year or the grant may be withdrawn.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when details of the next sports capital programme will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24592/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Sports Capital Programme (SCP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. The new Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCP and to prioritising the investment in disadvantaged areas. 

The most recent (2018) round of the SCP attracted a record 2,337 applications. Allocations were announced in January, May and November of last year with a total of over €56 million awarded to 1,648 different projects. All unsuccessful applicants were given the opportunity to appeal the Department’s decision. In relation to the capital grants announced in November, a total of 122 appeals were submitted by the December deadline.  The review of these appeals was completed in April with 6 new allocations approved. The priority to date this year has been to advance all of these projects to ensure the facilities are available for use and that the relevant grants are drawn down.  

In relation to future grants, following the finalisation of the appeals process, a full Review of the 2018 round of the SCP was undertaken. This Review has now been complete and the terms and conditions of the next round of the programme will be based on the recommendations in the Review. Work on these terms and conditions is now being finalised and a new round of the programme will be open for applications before the end of the year with an announcement in this regard expected in the coming weeks.