Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. I want to discuss the need for a state-of-the-art sports complex in the park beside the Alfie Byrne Road. I hope this is not seen as a politician asking for a specific request for his constituency because technically this is outside my constituency. The park serves an enormous number of people in the constituencies of Dublin Central and Dublin North West and throughout north Dublin.

The pitch is in a sorry state of repair and has been for the best part of 20 years. Yet every weekend more than 400 young people and older people go to engage in sport, predominantly football, on that pitch by the Alfie Byrne Road. Several teams operate there and Belvedere Football Club and Eastwall Bessborough Football Club have framed an extraordinary vision for what the site could be. At present a person with a disability cannot get a wheelchair up to the pitch. There have been occasions in recent months when a person has been asked not to go to see a loved one play football. This can no longer be the case.

Daniel Ennis of Eastwall Bessborough has created a vision for a multipurpose sporting site in the park. Some private funding has been sourced by the club and it is looking for backing from Dublin City Council, which has given some support. It is also looking for support from the State to back a sporting complex in the park that would suit the needs of the Eastwall Bessborough and Belvedere football clubs. Belvedere has a long and distinguished history. It is paying exorbitant fees on various pitches. It will not be able to sustain this.

Most importantly, the clubs have asked for a sporting complex to suit the needs of children in the surrounding communities of East Wall, North Strand and other areas who have neurodivergent needs and other additional needs. There are very few play facilities. The clubs are looking at what this site could be, which is an asset for the wider community and the surrounding north Dublin area where there is a dearth of 11-a-side pitches and large green spaces. They are asking whether this could be a space for a sporting complex suited to the needs of two great clubs and, most importantly, suited to the needs of the area. It would have a sports complex, with everything the local communities could need including grass pitches and changing rooms, which are not there at present. Recently there have been unfortunate incidents when under-15 girls' teams could not use the pitch because there was no supporting complex. This is an incredible shame.

There are other groups in the East Wall area, such as the Side By Side parenting group which comes together to share space with their children who have neurodivergent or additional needs, who do not have anywhere to go. I have visited them on many weekends in East Wall. We sit on concrete while adults and children play together. They see this proposal as a means by which they could combat and alleviate all of this and provide solutions. There are a lot of good things happening in the north inner city but leaders such as the parents who come together in groups such as Side By Side and in football clubs such as Belvedere, which have long and distinguished traditions of contributing to the lives of young and old people, say this could be a space where they could create a future. It is remarkable proposal.

I would be happy to send the details of the proposal to the office of the Minister of State. I know it is not his specific responsibility but he is representing the Government today. There is momentum building but I would like to see that momentum from the State, which talks about investment in the north inner city. This is a very clear and tangible goal. If we work on it together it would have huge benefits for the north side of the city. I look forward to hearing the response of the Minister of State.

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