€75m in sports grants not spent, claims Fine Gael
Figures obtained by Fine Gael senator Fergal Browne showed a quarter of all funds for capital projects allotted by Minister for Arts, Sports, and Tourism John O’Donoghue had yet to be drawn down.
However, a spokesperson for the department rejected the Carlow senator’s conclusions that this was due to “bureaucratic blockages”.
The spokesperson said the grants were awarded for capital projects such as buildings, structures, pitches and facilities and that many of these took several years before construction began.
“There is nothing unusual about this. It falls on the department to make sure that we are not spending public money until all the criteria are met,” said the spokesperson.
The department accepted a small percentage of projects fell through.
This was for one of a number of reasons, it said. The club might have failed to meet its own funding requirements; lands or property might have become unavailable; or it may have been planning issues.”
But Mr Browne insisted too much money remained unspent.
“I cannot accept that in February 2007 there is over €30m from 2005 and over €20m from 2004 which is in bureaucratic limbo,” he said.
“Ireland is in the grip of an obesity crisis and it is well known that facilitating physical activity must play a key role in tackling that.
“Community sports facilities can make a major contribution both by co-operating with schools in the provision of PE and by providing all residents with a place to take exercise as well as socialise,” said the Fine Gael senator.
