Fianna Fáil face fire on sports funding leaks

FIANNA FÁIL was again at the centre of a controversy over the selective provision of information by ministers to party members last night.

FF ministers, TDs, councillors and local election candidates had details of National Lottery-funded sports grants yesterday morning, eight hours before they were officially announced, enabling them to claim credit for the local funding in advance.

Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue officially released the breakdown of the €50.8 million of grants at 5pm yesterday evening, but his party colleagues had already publicised the funding on local radio stations.

Dissemination of information to Fianna Fáil representatives has come under intense scrutiny since revelations that Education Minister Noel Dempsey prepared briefing packs for FF local election candidates.

While welcoming the funding for 717 projects countrywide, Fine Gael sports spokesperson Jimmy Deenihan said the provision of information to Fianna Fáil was an example of the politicisation of the granting of funding under the Sports Capital Programme.

"Obviously the information should be given to everyone. It shouldn't be at all politically associated. It is the people's money. It's time the lottery funds were dispersed by the Sports Council. It takes the politics out of the equation," he said.

The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism declined to respond to queries regarding the information dispersal.

Fianna Fáil's press office said it did not receive a copy of the information before it was announced.

"We don't know anything about it," a spokesman said.