Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Government funding for larger sports projects was previously provided on an ad hoc basis until the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, was launched in 2018 to provide an open and transparent system. The LSSIF is designed to provide funding for larger sports facility projects where the amount being sought by applicants is greater than the funding available under the normal sports capital programme. Following a detailed assessment process, the first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and so far, approximately €86 million has been allocated to 33 different projects. In terms of existing grants, so far only four projects have drawn down funding to date. The new athletics facility in Newcastle West is almost complete. The design work to replace Dalymount Park is almost complete. Construction has commenced in Walsh Park in Waterford. I am told construction has also commenced in Newbridge. It should be noted that allocations were announced in January 2020, just prior to the pandemic, which slowed progress considerably.

Representatives of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media met with all of the grantees as part of the Department's review of the fund. In addition to the four projects I mentioned, we now believe that 17 additional projects will be able to draw down some funding this year. That represents significant progress. The priority in the short term is to advance these existing projects but the possibility of opening a new call for proposals will be considered as part of the Estimates process in advance of budget 2024.

The immediate priority is to enable the projects that have funding granted to them to draw down some of that funding. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, working with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, are very keen to open up a new round of funding for small clubs for capital and equipment, which happens every year, and they are also working on that.

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