Laois receive €799,000 in Sports Capital Grant Scheme 2008 to 18 organisations.  Martin Cullen, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, (29 July 2008) announced allocations totalling €50 million to 682 separate sports projects around the country under the 2008 Sports Capital Programme.  This Programme, which is part-funded by the National Lottery and administered by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is the primary vehicle for Government support for the provision of sports facilities and equipment around the country.

Speaking in the Government Press Centre, Minister Cullen TD said: "Today's allocations build upon the excellent work of previous rounds of the Programme and continue to support dedicated community spirit and reward local volunteerism.  Every pitch that is laid, every changing room that is built and every piece of sport equipment bought, will allow more people to take part in a huge range of sports and help them to achieve their full potential in their chosen sport."

Minister Cullen TD added: “Since 1998, through the Sports Capital Programme, the Government has invested over €725 million in almost 7,400 separate sporting projects.  This investment has transformed the Irish sporting landscape with improved facilities in virtually every village, town and city.  The facilities funded range from new equipment for the smallest clubs, to regional integrated multi-sport centres and national centres of sporting excellence.” The Minister continued: “At a local level, for example, these allocations announced today will allow 17 boxing clubs to buy new sports equipment and improve their gyms.  These allocations will also help in the provision of pitches, the building and fitting out of dressing rooms and club houses and the installation of floodlighting for soccer, hockey, rugby and GAA clubs across the country.  Every single county will benefit.”

The Minister commented: “I am also delighted to be allocating €18.3 million to sports such as tennis, athletics, swimming, handball, judo, volleyball and to community/multi-sports centres that can accommodate sport and other activities.” 

Minister Cullen concluded: “The fact that funding of €50 million is being provided to 682 separate sports infrastructure projects demonstrates the importance that this Government places on sport.  Sports facilities that are well-planned, built and managed have the ability to act as focal points for a community and allow more people to get involved in healthy activities.  Participation in sport is important for many reasons.  For individuals, participation has health benefits, builds confidence and gives people a sense of their worth.  For society as a whole, sport can reduce anti-social behaviour while sporting success has the ability to lift the spirits of whole counties and even the whole country.”

A full list of the allocations under the 2008 Sports Capital Programme is attached.

Issued by: Michelle Hoctor – 087 8563070

            James Edwards – 01 6313838

Note to Editors:

Background to the Sports Capital Programme

The Sports Capital Programme is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country.  To date, it has been operated on an annual basis and draws on National Lottery funds.  A total of €725m has been allocated in sports capital funding since 1998.  Furthermore, capital funding of €107.1m has been provided towards the redevelopment of Croke Park.

The Programme aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to developing sports and physical recreation facilities throughout the country. In particular, its objectives are to:

assist voluntary and community organisations to develop high quality, safe, well-designed and sustainable facilities in appropriate locations to help maximise participation in sport and physical recreation; prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of sports facilities; encourage the multi-purpose use of local, regional and national sports facilities by clubs, community organisations and national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport.

Applications are accepted from, or on behalf of:

voluntary and community organisations, including sports clubs; national governing bodies of sport and third level education institutions, where it is shown that the proposed facility will contribute to the regional and/or national sporting infrastructure; local authorities, and in certain defined circumstances, schools and colleges.

All applicants, bar some national projects, must provide an element of local funding for the project as per the table below:

Facility                                        Minimum own funding in place

Local projects                                        30% of cost of project

Local (rural disadvantaged areas CLAR*)              20% of cost of project

Local (urban disadvantaged areas RAPID & LDTF*) 10% of cost of project

Regional or national    Depends on the scale of the proposed facility

*     CLÁR - Centair Laga Árd-Riachtanais

RAPID – Revitalising Areas by Planning Investment and Development LDTF - Local Drugs Task Force areas