Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely, the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, and the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP. Both of these capital programmes are demand-driven and, as the Deputy can imagine, there is significant demand for them.

The national sports policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of the LSSIF. The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the SCEP. The first allocations under the large-scale sport infrastructure fund were announced in January 2020 with €86.4 million subsequently awarded to 33 different projects.

Additional funding of €37.6 million was announced for 27 existing LSSIF projects last December, due to delays experienced by grantees arising from the pandemic and construction inflation, bringing the total awarded to date under the fund to €124 million. Since June 2023, the following LSSIF projects have opened to the public: the linear walkway and playing fields project in Meath; phase 1 of Walsh Park GAA ground in Waterford; and the regional athletics hub in Limerick. A number of LSSIF projects are due to be completed this year or significantly progressed. For example, St. Conleth's Park GAA ground, Kildare, is due for completion later this year and will include a new 3,000-seater stand, while Connacht Rugby recently announced that enabling works have begun on its new high-performance centre and north stand.

Successful applicants to LSSIF were decided following a rigorous assessment process with the highest-scoring applications receiving grant offers. The priority given to projects by the relevant NGBs or local authorities was one of the key determinants of the assessment score along with factors such as the likelihood of increasing sport participation, how the proposed project would improve high performance and whether the proposed development would benefit spectators.

A new round of LSSIF, the Deputy will be glad to know, will open for applications in the coming months, with the dates, terms and conditions to be confirmed in due course. Engagement with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with regard to the Department's capital allocations for the coming years is ongoing and the outcome will inform the level of funding that will be available for allocation under the new round of LSSIF.

A fundamental aim of the Government’s national sports policy is to increase the levels of participation in sport and physical activity across the population, with a specific focus on less represented groups, including women and girls. A lot of good progress is being made, not just with regard to increasing participation by women and girls but also in the important areas of leadership and management roles in sport. It will be a requirement for all successful LSSIF applicants to publish their similar access policy, in respect of men and women having access to the facilities on similar terms in order for LSSIF funding to be awarded.

I understand that Sligo Rovers Football Club has received planning permission for the development of The Showgrounds. This was hugely welcome and a really significant step in the implementation process of the master plan for The Showgrounds redevelopment. As the Deputy said, it is a community-owned club and the community ethos in the region is very strong, very significant and hugely important to the club, players, management and all involved. I encourage all eligible projects to consider applying for this really competitive application process when it opens in the near future.

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