Sports grants to schools
Deputy Barry argued that the sports capital grants system needs overhaul after controversy over grants to schools, especially a private school's hockey pitch. The Tánaiste defended the independent assessment process and said Ministers had no role in the appeals decision beyond approving the allocation.
I wish to raise the programme for Government commitments around sports grants and participation in sport. It is clear from the justifiable critical reaction to the awarding and non-awarding of sports-related capital grants to schools that an examination and overhaul of the system is needed. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, saw fit to trumpet the €150,000 granted to Wesley College, a private school, for a hockey pitch, while dozens of public schools in more deprived areas failed to get a button.
Leaving aside the blatant class bias and cronyism at work, there is an in-built bias in the capital sports grant system whereby clubs and schools that own their premises and grounds have greater scope for capital investment than clubs that rent their spaces. Does the Government agree that we need to debate the national sports grant allocation and how to increase the level of participation in sport throughout the country, in line with commitments in the programme for Government?
Comment on this
I welcome the fact that the Government is continuing to increase the funding going to the sports capital programme. It is something that we unfortunately could not afford to do several years ago. The programme is now up and running again. It has an assessment process with which I am very familiar, as most people in this House are, because after many years without that level of support there has been huge interest in recent years. The eligibility criteria determining who can apply and the recommendations concerning successful applications are the results of an independent process.
Comment on this
In regard to the funding of the particular project the Deputy spoke about, I can confirm that the Ministers had no role in the appeals process other than to approve the monetary allocation proposed by officials. Education facilities can always apply for funding as long as their applications are made jointly with another sports club. The private school in question was a joint applicant, and the proposed facilities will benefit the community as a whole, rather than just the school itself. I understand that the Young Men's Christian Association, YMCA, is part of this application and will be able to use the facilities concerned.