Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

That is considerable funding that we put into it. It shows that we all acknowledge the value of sports for well-being in our community and what it does for communities. I have had the opportunity to work with a number of the clubs that did receive funding in the last year or two and to assist in the appeals process, which is an important thing to stress. Lacken-Kilbride GAA Club got substantial funding and Greystones Lawn Tennis Club, Sea Scouts and a range of community activities also benefited.

Could we also look at a type of sports campus funding where we bring all the sporting clubs together in the community rather than having separate fields designated for rugby, football or GAA? We would get a much better return for the community out of it. One that I am looking at in particular is down in west Wicklow where we are working on a pool for the area. We have a pool in Bray, Greystones, Arklow and Wicklow town but there is nothing once you go to the other side of the mountains. A whole sports campus in west Wicklow is something that we should look at bringing in where it would have running tracks, changing rooms and football pitches for Blessington Football Club etc. That is something that we could also look at in the sports grants.

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