Five Westmeath community groups make successful sports grant appeals
Five local sports groups are celebrating today after their appeals for funding under the Sports Captial Programme were successful.
The clubs' (Ballynacargy Boxing Club (€11,742.16), Horseleap/Streamstown Community Association (€19,472.93), Loughnavalley GAA Club (€30,018.52), Milltown GAA Club (€75,775.45) and Multyfarnham GAA Club (€43,713.06) original applications were deemed ineligible at the initial assessment stage. However, after the issues were identified the clubs appealed the decision and their revised applications were successful.
Fianna Fail Minister of State Robert Troy TD has welcomed today’s announcement of successful Sports Capital Grant appeals as a further significant investment in the area.
“Since issues were raised with these applications at the initial assessment stage I have worked closely with each of the clubs involved to ensure a strong appeal was submitted and the issues raised could be rectified. A number of weeks ago I facilitated a series of online meetings with the clubs involved to discuss their appeals with my colleague, Minister Jack Chambers and to outline the essential nature of this funding. I am very pleased with the allocations announced by Minister Chambers today as I know first-hand the huge benefit this investment will bring to each of the areas involved” said Minister Troy.
Today’s allocation through the appeals process means that Westmeath clubs have benefited to the tune of €3.5m from the latest round of Sports Capital Funding.
“Through this Sports Capital Programme we have seen the largest ever investment in sports clubs, and recreational facilities in the history of the state. I am pleased that so many clubs in Westmeath have been to the forefront in bringing forward ambitious plans for the future of their facilities and that as a Government we have been able to support these plans and ensure clubs can have a state of the art offering for current and future generations. This is also the first time that clubs who submitted an invalid application were given the scope to submit an appeal and huge credit must go to Minister Chambers for facilitating this process and giving the great volunteers who works so hard in clubs up and down the country the opportunity to correct any errors which may have been made in the initial process. I look forward to seeing all of this funding invested to the benefit of future generations and hope to work closely with many more clubs in future rounds of funding through the Sports Capital Programme” concluded Minister Troy.