Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

315. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the available funding for a club (details supplied) for maintenance works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9604/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) 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. Any sports club can apply directly for funding up to a value of €150,000 for local projects. In cases where a club does not own a premises, it is still permissible to apply for capital grants up to a value of €50,000. A copy of the latest "Guide to Making an Application" which sets out the terms and conditions of the scheme is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/d13385-sports-capital-programme/#introduction.

The most recent round of the Programme closed for applications on 1 March 2021.  By this date, 3,106 applications had been submitted seeking over €200m in funding.  This is the highest number of applications ever received. 

The scoring system and assessment procedures were finalised and published prior to assessment work commencing and all applications were assessed in accordance with these procedures. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on 6 August 2021. The remaining capital applications were then assessed and 1,865 individual grant offers with a total value of over €143.8m were announced on Friday 11 February 2022. The priority in the medium terms is to progress all of these projects to grant drawdown stage.

In relation to any unsuccessful applicants, my Department will be in touch with relevant applicants shortly outlining the procedures which need to be followed to appeal the Department's decision. When the appeals process is complete, a full review of the 2020 round of the SCEP will be undertaken and any recommendations contained therein will be included in the terms and conditions of the next round.  The precise timing of this next round of the Programme will be announced once this review is complete.