Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the chance to speak in this debate in the statements on the sports capital programme, the large-scale sporting infrastructure fund and the major events programme.

I want to highlight four examples that show both the power of sport in our communities and the urgent need for further Government action and investment.

The Government often speaks about participation in sport but the reality on the ground is very different. Tramore, the largest town by population in County Waterford, has one of the youngest populations in the south east and yet its sporting facilities have not kept pace with that growth.

The facts are stark: Tramore has just 5.5 sq. m of pitch space per person. If we compare it to its nearest comparator town, my own town of Dungarvan has 15.3 sq. m of pitch space. Despite its population having almost trebled since the 1980s, not a single new playing field has been developed in Tramore in 35 years.

Tramore Rugby Football Club has no home ground. Teenagers leave once they outgrow mini rugby, undermining the work of volunteers. Last year the club even lost its training base, putting its future at risk. It depends on the goodwill and generosity of other sports clubs in Tramore, including Tramore GAA, yet this is a vibrant and successful club in its own right, with more than 100 active players, 200 members, one of the largest minis clubs in east Munster. Last year, its under-14s reached the Pan Munster cup final at Thomond Park, defeating Garryowen. What they need is simple – 7 acres to 10 acres to call their own. Without it, their growth is capped. Young people drift away from sport. I ask the Minister of State and his colleagues to engage directly with Waterford council and Tramore's sporting bodies to secure land and funding. The young rugby players of Tramore deserve a proper sporting home.

Tá obair iontach ar siúl faoi láthair i nGaeltacht na nDéise. Chríochnaigh Fiontair Pobail páirc ildánach faoi sholas saorga i bPáirc Uí Shíothcháin sa Rinn, ag tabhairt le chéile clubanna spóirt éagsúla, ina measc an cumann camógaíochta, an cumann peil na mban, an cumann reathaíochta agus an Cumann Lúthchleas Gael áitiúil. Níl siad críochnaithe fós lena pleananna. Tá breis obair uaillmhianach do thuilleadh áiseanna sa phobal idir lámha acu. Bhí an togra seo bunaithe ar mhaoiniú éagsúil, ach thar aon rud eile ar obair dheonach agus ar bhailiúcháin coistí leanúnacha sa phobal. Tá sé an-éasca neamhaird a dhéanamh den obair mhór atá i gceist, ach is é seo croílár an phobail. Ní mór don Rialtas an iarracht seo a mheaitseáil. Caithfidh sé córas níos inrochtana a chur ar fáil do chlubanna agus do phobail ionas go mbeidh siad in ann an maoiniú ceart a aithint agus a fháil, agus pleanáil fhadtéarmach a dhéanamh.

The work under way in Gaeltacht na nDéise is remarkable. Fiontair Pobail has delivered a multi-use, floodlit all-weather pitch at Páirc Uí Shíothcháin, An Rinn, bringing together local sports clubs, and it is not finished yet. It has ambitious plans for further facilities in this community. This success was built on a mix of funding sources, but above all on a relentless voluntary effort and sustained community fundraising. It is easy to underestimate the scale of work involved but it is the beating heart of this community and many others besides. The Government must match that effort. It must make the funding system more accessible, so that clubs and communities can identify, secure, and plan around the supports they need for long-term development.

For years, there has been a clear and sustained campaign for a public swimming pool in Dungarvan and west Waterford. The council's own feasibility study confirmed the demand. Clubs, schools, families, tourism operators, care facilities, medical professionals and community groups all see the value this would bring to a town the size of Dungarvan and the wider hinterland of west Waterford but the council has not as yet advanced design, costing or funding applications.

Other towns of similar size have secured pools because their councils showed leadership. There is no reason Dungarvan should be left behind. The large-scale sports infrastructure fund is key to developing facilities of this scale and nature. I reiterate my call to management in the local authority in Waterford - the chief executive of Waterford City and County Council – to show leadership and to identify this as a project worth advancing and to engage with the Department about funding for same. I do not need to explain to the Minister of State about the importance of having a swimming pool in Dungarvan. There are many fine swimming pools in his own constituency of Donegal. A swimming pool would be used year-round for health, water safety, sport and tourism. It would serve schools, clubs and families across west Waterford. This is not a passing campaign. It is something on which I would like to work with the Minister of State.

A recent Government-funded audit found that League of Ireland academies are lagging far behind international standards in terms of staff, facilities, and player-contact hours. The FAI has now submitted a detailed proposal for €4.45 million per year, over two years, to deliver 81 new academy jobs, a women's under-15 programme for every club, development equipment and a centralised player tracking system. This is not abstract policy, it is about young players in places like Waterford. It is about ensuring that Waterford FC and every League of Ireland club has the structures needed to nurture talent and to give young people real opportunities – men and women, boys and girls, ensuring participation and continued, sustained participation in sport.

This funding must be delivered in next week's budget. I urge the Minister of State to make all the representations he can in the coming week. It is about protecting and enhancing the game, and unlocking the untapped potential of football in Ireland for generations to come.

I thank my colleague, Deputy Joanna Byrne, for her leadership. She is Sinn Féin's spokesperson on sport. She has been making this case very strongly and engaging with the FAI.

I have given the Minister of State four examples from my constituency but I could give him many more to show how important these funding streams are. I urge the Minister of State to ensure we see the political will and a greater effort to bring along sports clubs and empowering them to access funding.

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