FF accused of punishing Kildare for not electing candidate

Fine Gael this afternoon accused the Government of using sports funding as a political football.

Senator Brian Hayes said Kildare was being punished for not electing a Fianna Fáil TD in the North Kildare by-election.

The county received the fifth greatest per-capita sports funding in 2004. For 2005, however, it comes out worst of all 26 counties.

“This year it's seen it's position in the league slip radically. We're putting this down to the failure on the part of the Fianna Fáil party to retain it's seat in this constituency," said Sen. Hayes.