Hit below the belt
»»Fortunehanded over to golfers as boxers are Ko’d »»td demands an urgent probe into allocation of cash
MILLIONS of euro of taxpayers’ cash are being pumped into posh sports clubs as young athletes from disadvantaged areas lose out.
Sports Minister Shane Ross sparked fury when he bragged about giving €150,000 to the fee-paying Wesley College in Dublin.
But the Irish Mirror can now reveal the Government is set to hand over another €150,000 to a top private golf club in the capital that costs €8,400 to join.
At the same time a gymnastics programme in deprived Fatima Mansions in Rialto, South Dublin, has received 300 times less – a paltry €489.
Opposition sports spokeswoman Imelda Munster last night blasted the Sports Capital Programme, saying: “It’s the Government buying votes by targeting its own middle-class clubs.”
The Louth representative has now called for an independent probe into where the money is going.
The Sinn Fein TD said: “This is meant to be for boxing clubs taking children off the streets.
“It’s beyond shocking, it’s stomach-churning.
“It is nothing less than discrimination and inequality in the distribution of these grants.
“We need a thorough investigation to look at where this money is going.
“This is a Fine Gael Government buying votes by favouring middle class areas. “Something like a golf club shouldn’t even be on the radar for these allocations. “Clubs like this don’t warrant funding from this programme when there are so many other areas that need assistance.” The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport last week published the result of appeals made by clubs that missed the cut for grants from the 2017 budget.
Five private golf clubs scored, while a boxing club for aspiring young athletes lost out.
Three of the golf clubs are in Dublin – Malahide Golf Club received €150,000, Balbriggan €103,430 and Slade Valley €97,760.
County Longford Golf Club was awarded €50,900, while Enniscorthy in Wexford got €58,000.
Overall, golf clubs benefitted from almost €2million in funding the Sports Capital Programme. Meanwhile,
It is nothing less than inequality in the distribution of grants IMELDA MUNSTER SINN FEIN TD YESTERDAY
Ballynacargy Boxing Club from Co Westmeath had its appeal for cash to fix up its clubhouse rejected.
Tommy Kelly helped set up the club five years ago, while his son Milly runs it now.
He has seen at first hand the commitment young boxers and their families give to the sport and believes the Government should be helping.
Mr Kelly added: “I couldn’t understand why the club didn’t get a grant.
“This shouldn’t be the way. A small club should get one.
“Any few bob they do get is needed to get young fellas into boxing. It would have really helped a lot.
“They have the Leinsters coming up now and we have a young girl in the club doing really well. She’s an Allireland champion. Her name is Robyn Kelly.” A full breakdown of where the 2017 budget went shows some of the plusher parts of the capital are scooping up huge chunks of the budget.
The Sutton and Glenageary lawn tennis clubs got €90,842 and €43,698 respectively.
Dalkey Scubadivers received €52,379, Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Club €51,561 and Terenure College Rugby Club €11,633.
But underprivileged areas are being left out in the cold. Fatima Groups United Gymnastics Project in the inner city got €489, Ballyfermot Youth Service was given €572 and Drimnagh’s Good Counsel GAA and Camogie Club was awarded €624.
Deputy Munster added: “The very purpose of these grants is to help voluntary community sports groups. This flies in the face of the whole ethics of the project and what it was set up to do in the first place.
“The whole qualifying criteria and how disadvantaged areas have not been awarded adequate funding needs to be investigated.
“Sporting areas that really do not warrant this level of support have got it anyway.
“When I looked at the Wesley College case I was shocked by the facilities they already have.
“They already have four pitches.” Last night a department statement said: “In November and December last, €60million was allocated to 1,800 projects under the 2017 round of the SCP.
“The deadline for appeals from applicants deemed invalid or partially invalid was 19th January 2018.”
It added 149 appeals were submitted prior to deadline and 35 were upheld by the reviewers.
The statement said: “Wesley College is just one of the 35 applicants whose application appeal was successful. “Full details of all of these allocations are available on the department’s website.”
Among the successful appellants were Howth Yacht Club Ltd which got €74,200 and Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club, from Rathfarnham in South Dublin, which picked up €150,000.
This shouldn’t be the way. A small club should get a grant. Any few bob is needed TOMMY KELLY BALLYNAGARGY BOXING CLUB YESTERDAY