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

The Minister and I are determined to see continued investment in sports facilities to ensure we achieve our ambitious targets for sports participation. In this regard, the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. More than 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to more than €1.15 billion. The programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas.

The 2020 round was a record one and the total allocation was €166.6 million. After that, the Department commenced a full review of all aspects of it. This review was published and is available on the Department’s website. Once the review was finalised, I asked my officials to draft the guide to making an application for the next round. This work is now complete and yesterday the Minister and I published the new guide to making an application for the 2023 SCEP. We announced the programme will be open for applications from next Monday until 8 September and I look forward to seeing a high level of applications for sports projects from right across the country.

As well as being open to individual sports clubs, applications are also accepted from local authorities. I understand Dublin City Council has previously received significant SCEP funding for sports facilities in the vicinity of Alfie Byrne Road, including all-weather pitches used by some local football clubs. Under the new 2023 round, projects, which are clubs basically, can apply for up to €200,000. The maximum valid grant available for projects deemed to be of regional significance, which a local authority facility generally would be, has been increased to €0.5 million. Funding is also provided under the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, which is designed for projects where the funding required from the Exchequer is greater.

We hope to have another round of that later in the year.

Regarding a new sports facility at Alfie Byrne Park, it is open to Dublin City Council to make a future application under either the SCEP. If any local sports clubs has a lease on it, it can apply as well.

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