The application for the Sports Capital Programme is to commence in the near future. Clubs and organisations will be given a number of weeks to complete the application process, but the advice being given is to begin preparing now.
It is understood that once the application deadline has passed an assessment process will get underway which could take a number of months before grants are issued in summer 2017. More comprehensive details of the new round will be announced shortly, including all of the relevant deadline dates.
Fine Gael Senator, Gabrielle McFadden, is urging all local clubs and organisations to begin the process now: “This week in the Seanad, the Minister of State for Sport Patrick O’Donovan confirmed that the application process for the Sports Capital Programme for 2017 will be open by January at the latest.
“It is very beneficial for sports clubs and organisations to get this advance notice of the application process, as many of them hold their AGMs around this time of year and they want to put their plans in place for 2017. For an application to be successful they must have matching funds and so it takes some preparation.”
Fine Gael Deputy, Peter Burke, has also welcomed news of the new round of funding: “The Sports Capital Grants were re-instated by the last Fine Gael government in 2012, after they had been cut by Fianna Fáil in the wake of the economic crash. I was delighted to hear it confirmed in the Budget that the grants would resume again next year. Westmeath received €590,000 from this fund in 2015, and I am determined that this figure will be matched and increased next year.
“Fine Gael in Government is using our economic progress to invest in communities around the country and ensure that everyone can benefit. Sport is just one important element of this. So far this year, over €22.8 million has been paid out to 680 organisations to support the development of sports facilities and the purchase of sports equipment through the excellent Sports Capital Programme.”
