Dick tells wrong club of grant success

[Lecale2]

From HS

Minister tells wrong club of grant success
13 April 2007


Minister of the Environment Dick Roche ended up in an embarrassing situation recently when he rang the chairman of St. Patrick's in Wicklow town with the news that €250,000 was on its way to the club under the National Lottery funded Sports Capital Programme only to find out it was the wrong club he had contacted.

It was the other St. Patrick's in Wicklow, based in Kilcoole, who did indeed get sanction for the grant and according to the Minister his error in making the phone call was based on wrong information having been given to him by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.

Richard Griffin, the club Chairman of the Wicklow town based club explained, "We hadn't applied for a grant so we were shocked when we got the phone call and we were wondering how it could have happened. I talked to the development committee and they said we hadn't made an application so someone rang him back."

[Sky Blue]

Dick is right! Serves the fecker right. What's a minister doing ringing round with this type of info. You wouldn't hal;f know there's an election soon.

[magpie seanie]

What's a minister doing ringing round with this type of info.

When the grants are decided the lists are circulated to the Govt politicians so they can annouce the good news. This is the way its done.

The sooner that the granting of lotto funding is taken away from politicians and put in the hands of an independent body the better.