Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator Carrigy, I commend the players who are providing the nation with such positive activity on Saturdays and Sundays. It is excellent to see all our teams out in the county colours across GAA, camogie and ladies' football.

In answer to the Senator's specific questions, we are currently preparing the criteria for the new sports capital programme and that will be reopened. It depended on where the particular application landed.

Some were funded up to a threshold where they received nearly all the funding, while others received a small percentage of it. I appreciate the Senator's feedback on that. It will be more difficult for clubs to raise the balance and that has to be a consideration. As I said, the criteria will be set out when we announce the programme.

On the large-scale infrastructure fund, the purpose of reviewing it is to test exactly where all the applications are, how they are synchronising and what the timelines were. The programme for Government is clear about supporting not only the sports capital programme but also large-scale sport infrastructure. That is important and we have seen throughout our communities that, where investment was provided, we saw participation. The review will recommend a future decision of Government but the Minister and I are anxious to ensure that if there are further opportunities around large-scale sports infrastructure, they will be funded. That will be subject to a Government decision after the review.

We received considerable feedback on swimming lessons and we have engaged with Swim Ireland and Ireland Active, which represents the leisure sector. The expert group on sport will engage further with both bodies on the issue. Swimming is an important physical activity and life skill and we cannot have swimming lessons interrupted for long periods. I acknowledge the Senator's feedback on that.