Over eighty sports clubs and groups in County Westmeath have been given additional hope they will receive at least some funding from the Government under its Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.
It was confirmed in January that 3,210 applications had been received by the submission deadline last September, and a total of over €350m was sought by all applicants.
This week the amount of money being made available to the fund was confirmed by the Government, and it’s positive news for Westmeath applicants.
You can find a full list of the Westmeath applications here
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne T.D., and Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe T.D., announced at least €250m in funding under the latest round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.
The recently negotiated National Development Plan, confirmed by Minister Donohoe T.D., has facilitated this largest-ever investment in sports facilities across the country.
The funding available represents a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022 under the 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. It should mean positive allocation decisions for all valid applications under the 2023 Programme.
Earlier this month equipment grant funding was confirmed for various groups across the country and it’s understood that further individual allocations, including those for capital works and capital works with an equipment component, will be announced in the autumn.
Minister Thomas Byrne said:
“The funding confirmed represents a 50% increase on the funding allocated under the 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme and it should mean positive allocation decisions for all valid applications under the current 2023 Programme. As a Government, we are delivering record budgets for sport, as we work to provide everyone, of every ability, with an opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity. I look forward to confirming individual allocations later in the year.”