Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While the sports programme at face value shows a decrease of €18 million to €108 million, this fall relates to once-off stimulus funding for the development of the national indoor arena, which created a spike in 2016.

On the current side, funding associated with Rio preparations in 2016 has also been retained in the current-side baseline for 2017 and beyond.

In total, there will be a €44 million envelope this year for the sports capital programme. This will meet all existing commitments under previous rounds of the sports capital programme, as well as commitments to Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the Kerry Sports Academy at IT Tralee.

I am delighted this funding also allowed for a new round of the sports capital programme which was opened for applications in January. The sports capital programme aims to foster an integrated and planning approach to developing sport and recreation facilities and has transformed the sporting landscape of Ireland with improvements in the quality and quantity of sporting facilities in virtually every village, town and city in the country. The new €30 million programme provides an opportunity for further improvements.

The capital envelope for sport also provides €4.2 million to meet all existing commitments under the local authority swimming pool programme. Further funding of €5 million was made available for sports measures through dormant accounts funds, mainly towards supporting the implementation of the national physical activity plan in disadvantaged communities.

The allocation to Sport Ireland will allow it to continue its key priorities of increasing participation and developing and supporting high performance sport in Ireland. It is important that there is an appropriate level of investment in sport to ensure that participation opportunities and high performance successes are maintained and improved.

It also provides for expenditure by Sport Ireland on its sports programmes, including grants to national governing bodies, NGBs, of sport, youth field sports and the local sports partnerships. Other sports programmes include international carding scheme grants, high performance programme, anti-doping programme, the Women in Sport initiative, national trails programme, etc.

The capital allocation to Sport Ireland will provide for the continued development of the national sports campus at Abbotstown. Phase 1 of the national indoor arena was completed and officially opened in January and I understand that bookings for sporting events there this year are already strong. I believe that members of the committee visited the campus recently. They will have seen for themselves the excellent facilities that are now available for Irish athletes and teams, as well as for the public.