Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a great day for sport. Last year, I announced a sports capital programme, the first since 2008, and I promised we would have another round before 2016. I am glad to say I was able to get the funding to have another programme, which I hope to announce in the near future, with payments being made in 2014. This is great news for the community sports clubs across the country. With increased participation in sports, clubs will be able to apply for essential works like new changing rooms, pitches, lighting and other projects for the second time since the Government took office. It also means the clubs that missed out in the last round can make another application and provide new jobs in local communities.

I was disappointed in the reaction to the budget from certain media commentators and, particularly, the Federation of Irish Sport. Cuts were made on the current side, which will have an impact on the funding to the Irish Sports Council, but there must be an acknowledgement of the amount of funding we have achieved on the capital side. Sport benefits from this and while I understand the concerns about the cuts to the current side, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, and I will look at the overall allocation to the Department over the coming weeks to see how we can rebalance the current funding.

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