Total funding represents largest ever funding for sports equipment under Sports Capital and Equipment programme.
Kildare South Fine Gael TD and Minister Martin Heydon has welcomed the announcement by Government of record funding of over €720,000 in sports equipment grants for sporting organisations across Kildare.
Speaking following the launch of the funding, Minister Heydon said, “This new allocation of over €723,086 in equipment grants for Kildare based sporting organisations is great news and will allow them to further upgrade and enhance their facilities for the benefit of all who use them. I was delighted to support many of them in their applications”.
“Our sporting organisations are at the heart of our communities, I see this first hand with my own involvement in local GAA, Rugby, and Athletics clubs. The work done on a voluntary basis in sports organisations in Kildare and across the country is invaluable and so it is only right that the Government plays its part in facilitating sporting participation and the resulting excelling in sport, so much of which we have seen in recent years.”
“The wide array of organisations that will receive this record funding across Kildare is representative of the great interest we have in sport as a county. From GAA, rugby, basketball, Equine sport, kayaking, and many other successful organisations, there is a great diversity in successful applicants. We need to maintain investment in Sport, and I am delighted that under revised capital allocations under the national Development Plan, this Government is able to provide further funding assistance for sports equipment.”
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding across Ireland since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion.
Concluding, Minister Heydon stated “as TD for Kildare South, and Kildare’s only Minister, I have consistently worked to ensure that sporting organisations in Kildare have all the tools necessary to fulfil their potential. I will continue to work to allow all of our children and young people, along with all who play, and support, our sporting teams and associations have access to the best facilities and equipment necessary. Work will now continue on assessing the “capital” applications with the allocations to be announced later in the year, but in the meantime I want to congratulate all successful applicants under this round of funding.”