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

A wide range of very important issues were raised. The purchase of land is a key issue. Let us be straight - we all have a role to play at every level of government.

Local authorities have a role to play in this. Councillors of all parties should be really focusing on this issue when zoning land. There are no restrictions on zoning land for sports facilities and making certain things conditional when housing is provided. That is really important. Acknowledging there is a problem, we all, as I said, have a role to play. I have had discussions with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, on this issue and what we can do at Government level. Clearly, there is significant pressure on funding to build houses. However, we recognise very much that there is also a need to equip local authorities, in some cases, to purchase land. That is something on which we continue to work.

Regarding training support for the application process, we engage significantly with the national governing bodies, NGBs, in this regard. They provide their own training and the local sports partnerships, LSPs, provide help as well. Clubs can get all the information they need from those organisations and, indeed, from local politicians of all parties, who are well used to supporting them. We have tried to make the application process as easy as possible.

On women's facilities, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh acknowledged there is an issue. In fact, he slightly underplayed it. I meet members of women's clubs all the time who tell me they do not have access to facilities on a similar basis to men. Some people take the view it is okay that the men's club does not pay a fee to use facilities but the women's teams must pay a fee. That day is over from a funding point of view. That type of situation will disqualify applicants from drawing down sports capital funding. We will award the grants and give people a chance to change things. For any grant at regional level or above, we will now require a written policy demonstrating that the similar access policy is in place.

Deputy Durkan mentioned clubs that have not received grants previously. They will have an advantage under the scoring system. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan has raised on many occasions the question of funding for football. Soccer clubs, historically, have underachieved in attaining sports capital funding. I am pleased to note that soccer clubs were the highest recipients of any sport under the sports equipment programme we launched a couple of weeks ago. I made a big effort, together with the FAI, to make sure football clubs applied. They are not the highest applicants for capital but they certainly are at their highest ever level in terms of money and share of applications. Football is very high up and was the highest for equipment. That is important.

I accept there is an issue with providing receipts and claiming back money. We will keep that under ongoing review.

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