Press release
Sports Capital Programme 2018 - €40M for Improved Sports Facilities
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross T.D. and the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin T.D., today announced that €40 million is being made available under a new round of the Sports Capital Programme (SCP). The SCP is the Government’s primary vehicle for providing support to sports clubs and communities to develop sports infrastructure around the country. Applications can only be made online from 9am on Friday 7th September until 5pm on Friday 19th October, 2018.
Minister Ross stated “This is further excellent news following a superb summer of Irish sporting achievements. Recently we launched our new National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027 which confirmed our commitment to invest in sports facilities in the years ahead. The opening of a new round of the Sports Capital Programme shows that we are committed to delivering on this objective. The programme itself has already transformed sports facilities in practically every community in Ireland. The €40 million that is now available provides an opportunity for even further improvements and I would urge all organisations with a suitable project to apply”.
The Minister of State, Brendan Griffin highlighted the changes to the terms of the new programme. “While the Sports Capital Programme is already hugely popular with sports clubs across so many different sporting disciplines, we are determined to make the application process as simple and user-friendly as possible. We undertook a detailed review of the 2017 round of the Sports Capital Programme and the recommendations arising have been fully factored in to the new terms and conditions of the 2018 scheme. In particular, we are introducing some significant changes in our assessment methodology to ensure that we minimise the number of invalid applications. We will also give even greater priority to applications from disadvantaged areas and projects that promote the sharing of sports facilities with other clubs and the wider community.”
All applicants must be registered on the Department’s online system and the Ministers encouraged any clubs which are not already registered to do so now. The guide to making an application was also published on the Department’s website today on www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie. Registrations will close at 5pm on Friday 5th October.
Welcoming the opening of applications, Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton T.D. said, “I’m delighted that this year, following an agreement by both my own Department and the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport, that all schools may now be able to avail of the Sports Capital Grant Scheme as long as they do so in conjunction with a sports club. This is a great opportunity and I encourage all interested schools to apply.”
Clubs who wish to register on the Department’s online system can do so now at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie. Once registered, all applications must be made on the same website. The system will be open for applications from 9am on Friday 7th September to 5pm on Friday 19th October, 2018.
A guide to making an application and a link to YouTube video instructions is also available on the Department’s website.
Ends
For editors:
The Sports Capital Programme is the Government’s primary vehicle for supporting the development of sports facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment.
The programme funds:
[All allocations under the 2017 round of the Sports Capital Programme are available on the Department’s website www.dttas.ie. A detailed review of the 2017 round of the programme is also published on the site.]
In relation to Minister owned property, a small number of schools were previously unable to avail of the Scheme. However, a solution has been agreed between the Department Of Education and Skills & the Department Of Tourism Transport and Sport to allow such schools certain flexibility to meet the criteria set for Sports Capital Grant Schemes.