Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

Is léir go bhfuil a lán feicthe againn cheana féin agus go bhfuil rudaí maithe ag tarlú timpeall na tíre, go háirithe i gCill Dara. We have seen a lot of positive progress around the country, particularly in Kildare. Some examples of successful sports capital programme projects in Kildare are: Clough GAA, which secured a €150,000 grant to install LED floodlights and improve security; Celbridge GAA club, which secured just over €95,000 for its sustainability and inclusivity plan in 2024; and Clane Rugby Football Club, which secured just shy of €26,000 for club pitch development and sports equipment. These are amazing examples of what has been done in Kildare. However, there are also examples where such grants were not made available. Celbridge Town AFC is one. I will work with the club to ensure that it benefits from a grant in the next stream because it looks after so many people, children and adults, in the community.

We have also seen some amazing large-scale sporting infrastructure projects in Kildare. Some €3 million was allocated in respect of Sallins Park in Naas for the development of new pitches. A sum of €1.4 million was allocated for a high-performance golf centre in Kildare. A sum of €1 million was awarded to Kildare for a cross-community development project for the GAA.

One project that is missing is the swimming pool for the north east of the county, specifically for Maynooth. There was an application involving Maynooth University and Kildare County Council that basically disappeared into the ether. In fact, approval for the project was refused. An appeal was subsequently sent in but those involved did not hear anything back about it. There is a new project to try to get it delivered now. I ask that this project be looked on favourably, because there is no public swimming pool in that part of the country, which comprises Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge, Kilcock and Clane. A pool is desperately needed. We have a solution here ready to go, namely the redevelopment of Maynooth University swimming pool. I look forward to engaging with the Minister of State on that.

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