Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the canoeing issue, we will get Sport Ireland to engage with the Irish Dragon Boat Association. It can do that. I compliment Deputy Murnane O'Connor and Carlow County Council for the work they are doing on the Barrow, boating there and the plans they have.

On the sports capital grant, which is of considerable interest across the House, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform has to give us sanction to open it and we are having very good engagement with the Department and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, as well. We hope to get that sanction soon, as I am aware there are a lot of clubs waiting around.

On the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association, the merger is a matter for the organisations themselves, but from a sports funding point of view and especially a sports capital point of view I think there is a problem because the GAA owns practically all the facilities in the world of Gaelic sports. From a funding point of view, there would have to full and equal access going forward for men and women to those sports. I am coming across a number of examples around the country where women camogie players do not have access to a hurling pitch, for example, or ladies' football players have access on different terms. That will all have to come to an end from a sports funding point of view, regardless of the mergers.

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