Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I start by congratulating the women's Irish Homeless World Cup football team on their recent success in Korea. They did fantastically well. It is a huge boost to all the individuals participating in that. In particular, I mention Seán Kavanagh, a long-time supporter of the street league and the Homeless World Cup concept. I also acknowledge the homeless men's team which reached the quarter finals. I noticed that no Minister was at the airport to welcome them home. I say that with a certain irony.

After a summer of sport that brought so much joy and happiness to communities across Ireland and after all the talk and hype from the Minister about supporting Irish sporting communities, yesterday's announcement showed us clearly that it is talk and hype. The lower levels of increased funding for sport and recreation will do nothing to bring about positive change to our sporting community. It certainly was not transformative. Once again, the Government's approach is simply to plaster over the cracks that are the result of decades of underfunding.

Sinn Féin would have given our sporting community the respect and support it deserves. We would have invested nearly triple what the Government announced yesterday. Last week in Brussels, Sinn Féin facilitated a meeting between UEFA, the FAI and EU officials about the Brexit adjustment reserve fund. At that meeting, we asked if the FAI's case over the negative impact that Brexit had on the development of Irish football would have made Irish football eligible for this Brexit adjustment reserve fund. The EU officials said that the FAI's case ticked all the boxes and more. However, the Commission said that the Irish Government failed to apply for any of this funding for football. Once again, the Government has forgotten about Irish football. Once again, it has failed to fund Irish football academies. Once again, it has failed to kick-start the Irish football industry and invest in young Irish footballers.

There is this notion that the budget will solve everything. We all know that a budget is not a silver bullet. However, there is a continual lack of investment in sport and €1 million in the high-performance unit is not enough. Given the communities that have been failed, there are some measures that I would have questions about particularly those that will enhance the ability of the well-off affluent clubs to access funding.

We have places like Kevin Street and Aungier Street. The Government is transferring the ownership of the Dublin Institute of Technology, DIT, in Aungier Street to a private developer. That could be developed as a sport and recreational facility for the local community, which has nothing and cannot avail of sports capital grant funding because it does not have the facilities in place at all. DIT in Aungier Street, which was previously located in Kevin Street, would have provided a perfect opportunity to develop sports and leisure facilities for an inner-city community that has been neglected for decades.

While I know it is not in the brief of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, I must mention the €9 million for phone pouches. How can that possibly be a priority? It is absolutely insane. I know of many children coming to Leinster House.

There is Cara and there is the neurodiversity group in Ringsend and Pearse Street. They do not have the resources and kids are being left behind while schools are getting €9 million for phone pouches. It is absolutely insane and unfair on everybody. The notion of giving €9 million for phone pouches should be reversed and the money should be given to special education.

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