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

They are very valid points. Critically, this lies with Dublin City Council and its elected members. They develop very proactive sports and play policies. One day I toured some of the pocket parks and play facilities with Dublin City Council which is doing really innovative work. It is increasingly trying to fit them in smaller sites. Weaver Park is a great example. Those small facilities can make a big difference to small localised communities in inner-city Dublin.

Regarding the point on the LSSIF and the two grant schemes, they are under constant review. There has been feedback from some community groups that the grants do not go far enough.

However, from the experience we have throughout the country, they are most welcome and give that uplift to an awful lot of sporting clubs and communities. It is critically important, when planning in the inner city, that a local authority can optimise spaces where it can make allocation for a sports facility. I take on board the point the Deputy made regarding the DIT site or other sites across inner-city Dublin. These are prime sites for development but we have to be mindful that families and communities live in these parts of the city as well. It is very important that the local authority strikes a right balance. The grant schemes are there if the projects can be identified by the local authority and by local communities.

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