Local sport has received a boost with the announcement that significant funding is being made available for projects through the Sports Capital Programme (SCP ) 2017.
Shane Ross, Minister for Sport, and Brendan Griffin, Minister of State for Sport, announced last Thursday that €4m is being made available nationally through the programme. The allocations come in addition to the €56m grants for local projects under the programme which were announced last month.
Locally, funding to the tune of €95,000 has been allocated to build an all weather pitch, fencing and lights at Garrycastle GAA.
Athlone Boat Club has been allocated €65,000 for the development of its boat house.
A sum of €52,500 will go to Athlone GAA Club towards a multi purpose fitness centre.
Willow Park FC will receive €46,500 to allow them to develop their changing rooms.
Other local clubs to benefit include Athlone Sub Aqua (€14,500 ), Lough Ree Yacht Club ( €12,500 ), Moate All Whites (€10,500 ), Rosemount Cycling (€4,500 ) and GAA Clubs (€6,500 ), Ballinahown FC (€2,467 ) and Athlone Triathalon Club (€800 ).
A record number of applications were received this year, with 2,320 in total. When the Sports Capital Programme was launched, it was envisaged that a total of €30 million would be available to allocate for all projects. Following the conclusion of the budget discussions, and in order to allow as many worthwhile projects as possible to receive some funding, significant extra resources were secured, allowing a total of €60m to be allocated.
Minister Ross said: “To achieve our objective of getting as many people participating in sport as possible, and to ensure that our sports stars can compete at the highest level, we need to have the appropriate facilities in place. Today’s announcement of €4m worth of capital grants is another example of my commitment to sport in this regard and brings the total amount allocated in recent weeks to sports projects around the country to almost €60m.”
