Rules were changed after O'Donoghue helped rowing club get €300,000

A KERRY rowing club was given a €300,000 grant in breach of department guidelines after a request by John O'Donoghue.

The grant for the rowing club, which is in the Sports Minister's constituency, was approved one month before the 2002 general election.

Killorglin Rowing Club applied in December 2001 for a sports capital grant to build a two-storey boathouse on the River Laune for its 106 members. The Department of Sport and Tourism awarded the application a score of 63, which was below the standard approval score of 70.