Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for his advocacy in wanting to see this important project moved forward. There will come a point, because these will not be kept open forever. We need to make sure these projects get a move on. The Department has been tolerant to those awarded, but our objective at the moment is to try to make sure they are all moving. If they do not move, we will intervene and look to see how other projects will be able to move instead. I have given the House an update around the current status with regard to the potential for a new site for the Munster centre of excellence and the fact the FAI is updating its board at the next meeting. This is a new funding stream The large-scale sports infrastructure fund did not exist prior to the first funding round in 2020 followed by the second round in 2024. My objective, as Minister of State, is to work to try to make sure that the funds that have been awarded move forward by looking and assessing each of the projects intensively and monitoring them very closely to make sure they are held to account before moving forward. We are seeing movement now on this. As long as the objectives for the centre of excellence and the facilities that were initially intended in relation to the funding grant can be accommodated and are held true to in moving to a different site, we would be very much open to facilitating that and seeing the funding delivered for the benefit of football in the wider Cork area. This project could deliver a very significant benefit. I know the Deputy understands that and realises its potential.

We need to see it moving on. I will keep a very close eye on how the project develops to make sure that if it does move, decisions are taken and the process is stepped out so that funding can be availed of and drawn down for the purpose for which it was awarded.

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