Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I welcome this debate. The one thing I have to say about sports capital funding and the one thing that is heartwarming about it is that it is the most efficiently spent money in the country. When the grant is devolved to our local clubs and teams, we see them go to the ends of the earth to spend the money as efficiently as possible to yield the very best results for their communities. That always needs to be remembered in the context of public spending and how money is being spent. Our local clubs spend it best because they are volunteer organisations. They go through the tender process, they find the best contract and award it and, ultimately, they get incredible results on the ground.

When we talk about sport and its contribution to our communities, we know it is the heartbeat of rural Ireland. The communities I represent in Galway East that have benefited so greatly from sports capital funding are delivering incredible projects right across our constituency.

One thing that is really important is the growth in women's sports, which has been absolutely phenomenal over the past few years. All our clubs now have huge numbers on juvenile boys' and girls' teams and this is putting a strain on space. This is so much so the case for some clubs that there is a lack of space to accommodate everyone at all times. That is really unfortunate because everyone deserves equal access and equal opportunity in sport, regardless of gender. What is really important in this regard is that, in the next round of sports capital funding, consideration should be given to funding the acquisition of training fields or agricultural land for the purpose of developing pitches specifically for ladies' teams. I have seen this in different parts of east Galway where there has been consternation among clubs because there has not been enough space to allow for both teams. As a result, the female sides of certain clubs have decided to purchase their own playing fields. A side should not have to raise the funds for that, however. It should be funded under the sports capital programme. In an ideal world, if the fields can be purchased adjacent to the existing pitches, that would be brilliant, but everyone deserves equal access and equal opportunity.

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