Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

We were very proud in our area that Monkstown Boxing Club had one of its boxers, Jack Marley, participate in the heavyweight division of the Olympic Games. The area was very proud and it is a fantastic community club. Does the Minister of State know how long it has been fighting for a permanent facility? It has been for about three decades. It is one of the most inclusive, community-based clubs one could imagine. We finally got it but it was a long fight for Monkstown Boxing Club to get its own permanent facility.

That story is replicated by multiple clubs in our area, such as St. Joseph's AFC, which has been looking for an AstroTurf pitch but there are all sorts of reasons it cannot be given. While Sallynoggin Pearse is looking to primarily finance most of it itself as well as getting some support, it has had obstacles put in its way by the council because it wants a decent facility it will share with another club in the area, namely, Granada Football Club.

Dalkey United is also looking for facilities ,as are many of the GAA clubs. All are lacking in all-weather facilities and pitch space and there does not seem to a proactive approach to going out, saying "Yes" and giving a positive response. Rather, there are always excuses why we cannot do this or do not really need that. In fact, the Government has committed to building a lot more housing - we will see about that - but if the Government is going to build houses, we also need the sports facilities and pitches to go with them. There is not a proactive approach at the moment to the requests and demands of local clubs for pitches, clubhouses and other facilities.

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