asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much funding was provided by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in the financial year 2006-07 to fund activities related to (a) Association Football; (b) Rugby Union; and (c) the Gaelic Athletic Association. [HL3234]
The Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI) is responsible for the development of sport in NI including the distribution of funding to individual sports. In 2006-07 the SCNI provided exchequer funding to Association Football, Rugby Union and the Gaelic Athletic Association as follows:
Association Football £2,158,272.68 Rugby Union £882,900.62 Gaelic Athletic Association £2,692,846.27
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 18 April (WA 80) on funding for sport in Northern Ireland, what were the reasons for the differences in the sums received by Rally Ireland, the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200. [HL3373]
Payments to the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200 for 2005 were made by the Northern Ireland Events Company (NIEC) based on assessment of applications to its Major Events Fund by the event organisers.
From 2006, support for established annual flagship sporting events in Northern Ireland, such as the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200, has been made under the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) Business Support Scheme. This scheme, jointly funded by IFI and public funding from NIEC and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), has the purpose of assisting leading sporting and cultural events within Northern Ireland to become sustainable. The awards under this scheme to the Circuit of Ireland and to the North West 200 were based on assessment of the applications made by the event organisers against the criteria for funding set out under the scheme.
Rally Ireland is not an established annual event, but rather an innovative series of events in a successful bid to secure a new major global sporting event, the World Rally Championship. Payments to Rally Ireland have been made on the basis of need established in approved business cases.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the potential benefit to Northern Ireland was considered in calculating funding to be provided for Rally Ireland, the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200; and, if so, how it was calculated in each case. [HL3412]
The potential benefit to Northern Ireland was a factor considered in calculating funding provided to Rally Ireland, the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200. For Rally Ireland, the potential benefit to Northern Ireland was demonstrated in approved business cases. Prior to 2006, the potential benefit to Northern Ireland from the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200 was assessed as part of the application process for funding from the Northern Ireland Events Company (NIEC) Major Events Fund. From 2006, the potential benefit to Northern Ireland from the Circuit of Ireland and the North West 200 has been assessed as part of the application process for funding from the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) Business Development Scheme administered by NIEC.