Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media | Special emphasis on local sporting and community organisations when considering the allocation of grants in the current year

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Tourism; Culture; Arts; Gaeltacht; Sport and Media the extent to which her Department proposes to put special emphasis on local sporting and community organisations when considering the allocation of grants in the current year; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) 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. Since 1998, over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas and groups that are currently underrepresented in terms of participation. 

For the 2020 round of the programme alone, almost 2,900 different projects received a grant offer, with over €166.6 million allocated. While the main field sports such as GAA, soccer and rugby again fared very well, I think that any fair analysis will acknowledge the diversity and spread of grants awarded. Over 50 different sports benefited under the 2020 round of the Programme – including boxing, taekwondo, rowing, and wheelchair sport, to name just a few. 

Examination of the submitted applications demonstrates that the 2023 Programme has again generated a very large number of applications. The total number of 3,210 applications exceeds the record number submitted under the previous 2020 round and the total funding applied for is €359 million representing an 80% increase over the amount applied for in the 2020 SCEP. 

The Scoring System and Assessment Manual for the 2023 round has been published along with a list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received.  The detailed assessment work has commenced and “equipment-only” applications were assessed first. 

On 9 May 2024, Minister Martin and I announced over €26 million in equipment grants under the latest round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. The grants have been provisionally allocated to organisations across the country and to over fifty sports and activities. Further allocations, including those for capital works and capital works with an equipment component, will be announced later.

As for the likely scale of the budget available for the current round, Minister Martin and I were pleased to confirm yesterday that at least €250 million is to be made available for the 2023 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.  This is on foot of positive recent enagement on revised allocations for the National Development Plan with Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, which has facilitated this largest-ever investment in sports facilities across the country.

The funding now available represents a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022 under the 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme and it should mean positive allocation decisions for all valid applications under the current 2023 Programme. I would expect allocations to be announced in the Autumn.