Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

I thank everyone for the many contributions this evening. A significant number of Deputies came to the Chamber, and while we had almost two and a half hours of time, many people only had two minutes each. That shows the massive interest, recognition and respect there is for the role that sport plays in everyone's life and communities. It also shows the respect that everyone has for those who contribute to that at local community level. It is very timely that we are having this debate a week before the budget. It allows people to outline what they see as important and as key priorities. I thank everyone for their contributions and for coming in. I thank everyone for the ongoing support of sport and funding in sport throughout the course of the year, and for the many different representations I get on behalf of clubs and individuals involved in sport around the country.

I will start by touching on what is most recent and fresh in our minds coming out of the most recent weekend of large-scale events. The NFL game was a great success this weekend. I thank all who were involved in that. I acknowledge the role of my team, because it was put together in just under a year of organisation. Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin is assistant secretary in the Department. Also, I thank the major events team, which is a small team based in the Department in Killarney. Until last week, it was led by Mr. Donal Hannigan, who has now retired, and I wish him well in his retirement. Ms Collette O'Leary and Ms Mary Gallivan put massive work into organising and co-ordinating that event. I want to recognise the many agencies of the State that contributed to it being a successful event, namely, Dublin City Council, Sport Ireland, the National Transport Authority, Dublin Airport Authority, An Garda Síochána, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, the GAA and Croke Park. The event greatly showcased the country, and it was really good from a sport point of view, a cultural point of view, an international relations point of view and also from an economic point of view. I also saw a tweet from the journalist, Mr. Larry Donnelly, saying that on a wet, soggy night in Galway, he was swearing that almost half the people who had been in Dublin at the match must have transferred to Galway last night, given the level of tourists in the country. It is great to see people staying and spreading out across the country. Well done to everyone involved.

We have just come out of the Ryder Cup. I am looking forward to seeing that event in two years' time coming to Adare. It was great to see the branding of Ireland at the final, with Shane Lowry running into the crowd with the Irish flag around him, and being very much at the forefront once again, with Irish golfers being pivotal in the final analysis in securing the Ryder Cup. His great celebration, which gave everyone joy across the country, was reminiscent, many said, of Séamus Darby after scoring that famous goal for County Offaly and, for once, denying Deputy Danny Healy-Rae's team in an All-Ireland. I am sure Shane Lowry will not mind that comparison considering his own father, Brendan, had been a member of that famous Offaly team as well. We really look forward to seeing that event transfer to Adare in two years' time, which should be a wonderful occasion for the country again.

To correct something from earlier on, it was mentioned that the McManus family had made a request for funding. That was totally incorrect. I want to recognise the contribution that J.P. McManus and his family have made in terms of developing a world-class facility in Adare Manor and putting their investment into that, which has been central and pivotal to seeing the Ryder Cup tournament coming to the country. The State, like with the NFL event, will be working with its agencies in terms of investment outside of that to facilitate the tournament, which will be great for the country and bring great benefits.

That is at the very top end in terms of showcasing sport at the very top level. However, we have top level people performing to the best of their ability, whatever that ability might be, every day across the country. That participation is what is most important to us as a Government and most important to all of us here in the Chamber. That very much came through in all of the contributions today, particularly the importance of investing in facilities. Many recognise the transformation we have seen since many of us would have been togging out as young people to what is available today. That is a continuing journey, and one we all have to continue to make sure we are investing in. The success of that journey brings its own pressures as well. More and more people are participating now. How great it is to see participation in all sports across the genders as well as the really important effort that has gone into making sure that people of all abilities, including those with disabilities, have the potential to participate. That brings challenges. A sign of the success but also the challenges we have to meet is that there is not a club I attend across the country that is not under pressure for capacity, space, or more facilities. That is why it is important we work to support them. That has been the case in recent years. As acknowledged by Deputies, we have seen really significant investment through the sports capital programme.

Let us look at the last few years. In the most recent funding round, almost 3,000 clubs received funding of almost €270 million. Two years before that, the funding round amounted to approximately €156 million. That is a massive jump. If we go back another two years, the funding round was €60 million and before that it was about €50 million. That shows the trajectory of the investment and the emphasis being put on the sports capital programme. It is important to do that.

In the last few years, the LSSIF was also put in place, as a result of the national sports policy of 2018. Prior to that, there was no category that could provide for the State to invest in larger scale sporting projects. We have it now for the first time, but there is massive demand for it. Approximately €300 million has been committed between the two rounds we have had so far - in the most recent round, it was just under €170 million - but there was €660 million worth of applications. That shows the level of demand and that is why it is important that we work to try to ensure, as I will in this budget work with the Ministers, Deputies O'Donovan and Chambers, we are providing for it and that we work to continue to provide more facilities.

Many Deputies raised individual projects that are important to their constituencies, which again shows the level of demand and potential. Facilities are key and we will be working to continue to invest in them. Making the best use of those facilities is also important. We are fortunate to have a good structure in the governance of sport now and in how it is managed and organised, particularly the infrastructure that was put in place between 20 and 25 years ago when Sport Ireland was established, which now works with all the national governing bodies to provide oversight and support. There is a good support structure through Sport Ireland to make sure that, with the support available to volunteers, we maximise the capacity to deliver public good and outcomes for people through local sporting clubs so people can avail of them and enjoy sport. That has not always been the case. Governance was not always as co-ordinated and coherent as it has become. There will always be challenges, but from the point of view of the State there is a good structure is in place to provide support. That is why it is important that through this and previous budgets we work to support the national governing bodies with the funding they receive through Sport Ireland and support Sport Ireland in the work it does in supporting high performance athletes.

We want to empower people at all levels to be the best they can when it comes to being able to participate in international competitions. We have seen some wonderful examples of that in the past few days, weeks and years and we will continue to support it because while it is important in its own right, it also provides inspiration for people to get involved in sport, including in coaching and developing people's potential.

In summary, I thank everyone. We look forward to doing the best we can in this year's budget. I acknowledge the role of local sports partnerships which do good work at local level in trying to make sure people who have challenges as regards participating in activities are supported in doing so. We are seeing collectively, through the work everyone is doing, increases in participation. Now up to 49% of people participate regularly in sport. That excludes walking, which would bring the percentage higher. Also important is that the gender gap that has traditionally been in place has narrowed to its narrowest percentage ever. There is just a 3% gap, with 46% of women participating regularly in sport. I thank Deputies for their collective efforts on behalf of local sports clubs and communities. The Government looks forward to collaborating with them and continuing to do the best we possibly can to support this important activity.

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