The Minister for Tourism and Sport, Dr McDaid, has dramatically favoured his own constituency in this year's distribution of National Lottery sports grants.
Allocations announced yesterday by Dr McDaid show that for the fourth year he has given his native Donegal more than any other county outside the State's major population growth areas. Of £40 million being distributed around the State, £2.529 million is going to the county.
An analysis of the grants also shows the Minister's Donegal North East constituency is to receive three times as much as the neighbouring Donegal South West.
The two largest Donegal allocations are to clubs in Letterkenny, where Dr McDaid is based.
Dr McDaid's spokesman yesterday defended the allocations, saying Donegal had been neglected for many years and needed to catch up.
Asked if the Minister believed his northern end of the county had been more neglected than the southern part, he said: "The allocations were made on a points basis on merit according to set criteria."
He said Letterkenny in the northern half had grown substantially in recent years and had received a number of large grants. This explained much of the discrepancy between the two.
Donegal's £2.529 million is more than is allocated to any other county apart from the major population counties of Dublin (£9.571 million) and Cork (£3.756 million) and the county with the State's fastest growing population, Kildare (£3.035 million).
It contrasts with the allocations received by counties with substantially larger populations such as Galway (£1.564 million) and Limerick (£1.531 million).
Allocations received by counties with populations and geographical areas similar to Co Donegal included those for Mayo (£1.28 million) and Kerry (£1.669 million).
The announcements were made yesterday, on referendum polling day. The spokesman said the timing was a coincidence.