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

I thank Senator Carrigy for the questions. On participation, Sport Ireland is doing a great deal of work with the sports system and auditing that to ensure that we see where there are gaps. Obviously, there are gaps in terms of areas of disadvantage, focusing on disability in sport, women in sport and supporting our grassroots system and our local partnerships. Part of what I and the Minister are doing around the new sports action plan is about how we can focus investment in sport and participation in sport in everything we do and how we align sports policy.

In terms of general sports, the Senator mentioned the GAA. We are engaging with all the governing bodies on supporting them but also the whole club and sport system, which is so important around participation and around sport getting back when it is allowed to do so. That will happen in the next week, which is positive for young people.

We are hopeful about the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. A submission has gone to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on potentially reopening applications for that, which would probably be in the early part of next year. That is going through the national development plan process so we have to await the outcome. It is really important for the investment in sport, however. The last allocations were in January 2020 when more than €80 million was distributed.