Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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67. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a date for new applications for the sports capital grant 2023; the amount that has been allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8567/23]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister provide a date for new applications for the sports capital grants 2023 and the amount that has been allocated and will she make a statement on the matter?

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question No. 67 will be taken first.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I was waiting for the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to take that question. We do not have detail on that just now. I expect it shortly, but I do not have the exact date just yet. If the Deputy wishes to wait, the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, will have a more detailed answer for the Deputy.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I would have thought he would be here this evening.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I do not know. I think he may be just coming into the Chamber. We absolutely value the sports capital and equipment programme. As the Deputy knows, last year's was the biggest ever and we saw it reach every county and club that needed it; far beyond what was expected. We are after going through the process and it will require some negotiation with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in order to establish an opening date for applications, but it is on our minds to open a new round.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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When I raised it with the Minister of State several weeks ago at the committee - the Minister, Deputy Martin, was there as well - he said he was in discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and, following those discussions, he would be able to say when applications would be open for people to apply. The last sports capital grant opened in 2020. It was more than was normally allocated, but that is purely because it was covering multiple years, rather than the Government suddenly feeling a surge of generosity. It covered multiple years.

The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, is here now. Does he have a date for the allocation? The Minister of State also said he is finalising a review of the previous programmes. He is looking at what he could improve on. First, does he have a date? Second, will he outline what improvements he found could be made from the review that was being carried out?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise. I was not anticipating the swap. I thought I was No. 4. I thank the Deputy for bearing with me. I know the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has already given an initial reply. As the Deputy knows, the sports capital and equipment programme is the main vehicle for the development of sports and recreation facilities. More than €1.15 billion has been spent on that since the programme opened. As the Deputy said, there were a record number of applications the last time. More than 3,000 applications were made and more than €16.6 million was spent on equipment and €143.8 million on capital grants. Appeals were made, as well, which brought the allocation up to a total of €166.6 million for 2020. That is the highest allocation ever.

As the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, said, we are in discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We are basically finished the review. We will be publishing it shortly. The objective of the review is to make sure the money is spent in the best possible way, but we see with sports capital that money is spent very well by communities, in communities, and is of great benefit to everybody else. The important thing for us is to make sure we increase participation, equality and inclusion and help our elite athletes achieve what they are able to achieve.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We still do not have a date for when applications can be submitted. We do not have an amount. As the Minister of State said, there were multiple amounts in 2020, but that was to cover multiple years. I sincerely hope the allocation this time round will be more than previous allocations. I have seen the importance of continuing to enhance sporting facilities in my own town, with the feud, to encourage more young people to get involved in them. Is the Minister of State saying he still does not have a date? Next week, we are into March. We still do not know how much we will have to allocate and the Minister of State cannot tell us what the recommendations to improve areas were in the review that was carried out.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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We will be in a position to do that in due course. I came into the Department just before Christmas. The review was under way.

We provided some input into it and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has done the same. It will mean that the sports capital programme will be better. There was no specific allocation when we opened the programme the last time. The decision was made during the programme. Every club or pretty much all of those that qualified received funding as part of that programme. It is our ambition that the programme will be as extensive as possible. Discussions have to take place with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. That is standard practice when a sports capital programme is being announced. In any capital programme, discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform are necessary. It is public money. The Department knows this is public money that is very well spent. Our officials in Killarney do an incredible job.

The Deputy mentioned Drogheda and what needs to be done there. There is an official in the Department who deals specifically with County Louth, whom the clubs can ring any time. The national governing bodies of the various sports are working hard with clubs to help them put applications together. That includes working with local public representatives and the sports partnerships in various counties.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We now return to Question No. 64 in the name of Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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The order has not changed. I am to ask the second question.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This is unsatisfactory because-----

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I do not mind.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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It does not bother me. I just thought I was second.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We cleared this earlier in the afternoon.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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We did not receive notification.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I see that now but we cleared it with the Ceann Comhairle's office.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We cannot go up and down the calendar all night.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Kelly is next, followed by me, and I am up again after that.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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This is getting complicated.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We will run with it this time but we will not move any more. Deputy Kelly's question is next.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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I am second, one way or another.