Funds shortage delays €300m in sports projects

COMMUNITY and local authority sports projects costing more than €300m have been put on hold because of a lack of Government funding.

A two-year study carried out on behalf of a number of local authorities found up to 50 projects have been delayed.

Report authors, Holohan Leisure Consultants, said the shortage of Government money meant many of the projects would never see the light of day. The projects included swimming pools, leisure complexes, and all-weather facilities.

Chief executive, Gar Holohan, said: “A typical scenario is where a local authority is earmarked a grant of €3.8m towards a swimming and fitness complex costing €7m.

“With the current pressure on resources, few local authorities can fund the €3.2m gap. As a result, four county council pools have been forced to close in the last year, and development for nine more is threatened. In recent years, a substantial proportion of grants have remained unspent and recouped by the Exchequer.”

Mr Holohan said he knew of at least 46 projects, in various stages of planning, which were in trouble.

“Because of significant money allocated by the Government over the last number of years, groups and clubs were under the impression they could receive 80% of the funds they needed. In reality however, this is only about 40%. Small clubs and community projects are worst-hit,” he added.

The report recommends a combination of public and private investment as a solution to the crisis.

Fine Gael tourism and sports spokesman Jimmy Deenihan accused the Government of having no proper strategy in the area.

“It is vital that sport and recreation facilities are invested in, not just for the returns they make, but for the general health of the population and their ability to divert people from anti-social behaviour.

“I have called on the Government to have a national audit of these facilities to see where they are in real shortage,” he said. Unless projects in disadvantages areas are 80% funded, they will not stand a chance, the Kerry TD added.

A Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism spokesman said since 1998, over €213m has been allocated to more than 2,900 projects under the Sports Capital Programme.

Maximum grants of €3.8m are available for swimming pools.