James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. It is great to hear his own personal commitment to this advancement in addition to the Department. I wish to highlight our gratitude to the Department for the good faith negotiations they are having with Ranelagh Gaels and Portobello GAA, and for the years of community supports that the Defence Forces and the Department have offered up to the area.

As the Minister said, it is about the long-term facilities there. Ranelagh Gaels is a club that started when I left school, although I might have been a bit better on the round ball than the oval ball had it been there when I was there. What has developed in our community is a club where more than 1,600 people are now members of Ranelagh Gaels. Every child at every door we knock on has a Ranelagh Gaels jersey. It has grown the sport not just among young boys but in particular among young girls and teenage girls. We know that to ensure we retain teenage girls in sport the changing facilities are a big part of it. This is why having this long-term arrangement would make such a big difference to the club.

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