Dozens of sporting organisations, voluntary and community organisations and schools will be bitterly disappointed to discover that the government has decided not to fund any sports capital grants this year according to Athy’s Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr Richard Daly FG.
“Athy in particular has benefitted greatly from Sports Capital grants because it is a RAPID town which has been prioritised in the allocation of funds to all varieties of sports clubs. The delivery of these grants to the variety of organisations has both given our youth access to a wide range of sport and has promoted social inclusion which is a prerequisite of being a beneficiary.
In time of recession the development of our sporting facilities becomes even more important and it seems very short-sighted of the Minister that instead of reducing funding in this area he has indicated that there will be no funding whatever for Sports Capital Grants.
Many of our sports clubs and some schools have postponed their applications until this year as they were not have been ready last year and will now be devastated to find that all funding to this programme has ceased.”
“Health promotion and youth activities will all suffer as sports organisations locally relied on these grants to provide facilities” concluded Cllr Daly