Garda investigation begins into Basketball Ireland grant
The Dáil Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday that the matter was referred to Gardaí by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport after it emerged that only 20% of the equipment for which grants were provided had been installed.
Basketball Ireland, the national governing body of the sport, was awarded €1.8m between 1999 and 2006 under the Sports Capital Programme for a project entitled Community Hoops Programme.
Despite the organisation being given a €300,000 grant in 2006, an audit by departmental officials discovered that no equipment had been bought or installed by April 2009. It led to a full investigation into all monies paid to Basketball Ireland under the scheme.
A draft report revealed that just €255,000 out of the €1.8m allocation had actually been spent on buying and installing basketball hoops. It is understood that Basketball Ireland claims the problem arises from communications it had with a former departmental official.
Department secretary, Tom O’Mahony, told the PAC that a final report on the issue was near completion. He said €500,000 due in separate funding to Basketball Ireland had been frozen pending the outcome of the report.
Mr O’Mahony also said revised procedures had been put in place since last December to reduce the scope for grants to be used other than for the purpose for which they were awarded.
Meanwhile, the PAC also learnt that the National Aquatic Centre in Abbotstown, Co Dublin, is continuing to record annual losses of up to €1m.
Mr O’Mahony said the centre, which houses a 50-metre swimming pool, still requires an annual grant of around €1m.
