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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 15 together.

While Government support for larger sports projects was previously provided on an ad hocbasis, the largescale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, was launched in 2018 to provide an open and transparent system for applying for such funding. The first call for proposals was confined to national governing bodies of sport and local authorities.

Following a detailed assessment process, the first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 different proposals. These initial allocations include funding for eight swimming pool projects. Details of all applications made and grants awarded are published on my Department's website.

It should be noted that the allocations were announced in January 2020 just prior to the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic obviously gave rise to significant financial challenges for all grantees with many of them having to reprioritise their own expenditure plans due to reductions in their income streams. In more recent times, the high level of construction inflation has also presented considerable challenges for grantees. In view of these issues, it was considered timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants and meetings with all grantees have now taken place. It is encouraging that, based on these discussions with grantees, 22 of the 33 projects should be in a position to draw down funding in 2023. Accordingly, I expect to see significant progress on many of the LSSIF projects in the short to medium term and so there is unlikely to be any savings in the relevant subhead next year to allow a reallocation of funding. I am also aware that progress has been made by a number of grantees in securing additional sources of funding outside of the LSSIF process.

Dealing specifically with new swimming pool projects, work has commenced on the development of the first national swimming strategy based on a vision to provide everyone in Ireland with an opportunity to swim. The working group tasked with the detailed work of preparing the strategy is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives from relevant national governing bodies, NGBs, and stakeholders. An extensive consultation process has been undertaken across both stakeholders and the public and work is ongoing on the analysis of this after a very large number of responses were received. It is hoped to finalise the new strategy in the coming months and it will further guide future swimming pool investment policy.

In the medium term, I will continue to explore all options to assist those large-scale projects that have not progressed to date. In this regard, I am continuing to engage with my Government colleagues and officials have also been liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to make the case for further funding for the LSSIF. Securing additional funding will also allow the consideration of a new call for LSSIF proposals, as well as advancing the current design projects to construction stage.

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