Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for the response. The one thing I can glean from this response, and that is encouraging, is that the Minister of State has stated the FAI told him at its next board meeting it will bring forward details on the project. That is welcome progress because this is something that the community of Glanmire and all the public representatives involved, including local authority members, have pushed for some time. This project dates back six or seven years since its inception. My fundamental frustration is around the drawdown of funds. This is not the only project across the country that has not been drawn down from the LSSIF or, indeed, from other sports capital grants. Is there going to come a tipping point? Aside from this specific project, is there going to come a point where the Department will say to awardees have five, six, seven years to draw funding down, whatever the project is around the country, and if they do not use it, they are going to lose it or it will be go back to the Exchequer to be reallocated to some other worthy project? All these projects are worthy. We are all looking to support the development of infrastructure and facilities. The Minister of State referenced the record funding the Government has invested in the recent budget. I hope in next year's budget we will see a similar allocation into the sports capital funding. Is there ever going to come a point where if an awardee cannot or is unable to draw down the funding they have been allocated, there will be a cut-off point? I welcome the response the FAI has given stating that at its next board meeting it will have an update, but I ask that in relation to that update, commitments are given on timelines and when this can be delivered.

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