Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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120. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which she expects to assist in the provision of sporting and recreational facilities throughout Ireland with maximum community benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3521/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country.

Grants are available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, NGBs, and local authorities. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and schools may only apply for funding jointly with sports clubs or organisations.

The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritise the investment in disadvantaged areas. On 30th November, Minister Catherine Martin and I announced that a new 2020 round of the Programme was opening with applications accepted from 11th December. The closing date for applications is the 1st March. At least €40 million is available and it is planned to make allocations later in 2021.

Any organisation that has not already registered with the Department and wishes to apply for funding must first register on www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie. Organisations must have a tax registration number from the Revenue Commissioners if they wish to register.

It is a key objective of the programme to encourage the sharing of sports facilities and applications that demonstrate sharing receive extra marks at assessment stage.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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122. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans for the encouragement of sporting and recreational activity in all primary and second level schools throughout Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3523/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The organisation and delivery of activities in primary and second-level school settings, including the physical education curriculum, sporting activity generally and inter-school sport competition, are matters for the Department of Education and the schools concerned. I have no statutory role to exercise in that context.

Sport is an important part of the overall Irish sporting landscape and makes a positive contribution to the promotion and achievement of physically active lifestyles by its participants, including school-going children. My Department maintains an ongoing relationship and dialogue with the Department of Education in relation to the pursuit and implementation of respective policy aims. The Department of Education is also represented on the Sports Leadership Group, which I chair.

The achievement of a more physically active school-going population is a shared objective of both educational and sporting policy, to which both my colleague the Minister for Education and I are fully committed. It is my intention to discuss shared policy objectives with the Minister for Education in the near future.