Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an t-eolas is deánaí a thabhairt don Teach faoi na pleananna forbartha atá againn don spórt agus táim ag súil le tuairimí na Dála a chloisteáil. I am glad to be here for these statements on investments in sport, a sector which is vital to our society both at local and national levels, and on the major sports events that Ireland hosts.

The community sport facilities fund, CSFF, is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national levels. The fund aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and assists the purchase of non-personal sports equipment. The fund was previously known as the sports capital and equipment programme, which operated on an annual basis from 1998 to 2008. It resumed in 2012 with rounds in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023. As the programme has evolved, increasing amounts have been made available to support new or improved facilities. Over 19,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.4 billion. These grants have directly improved sports facilities in every village, town and city and I have been fortunate, as have Members across the House, to see many of these for myself in our parishes since I was appointed Minister of State in recent months.

The 2023 round of the CSFF received 3,211 applications and saw nearly €278 million allocated to 3,046 sports clubs and facilities, benefiting over 40 sports, as well as multisport facilities throughout the country. As in previous rounds, grants were available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, national governing bodies, NGBs, and local authorities. Third level colleges, education and training boards, ETBs and schools could also apply for funding jointly with sports clubs or organisations. Under CSFF 2023, applicants for local projects could apply for up to €200.000, which was increased from the previous maximum grant of €150,000. Maintenance equipment grants were capped at €40,000 and equipment grants of over €70,000 are only awarded in exceptional circumstances such as to NGBs. The maximum valid grant available for projects deemed to be of regional significance was increased from €300,000 to €500,000.

The large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, was established on foot of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027, which was published in 2018. The aim of the fund is to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects. These are projects where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the CSFF. In some cases, these are projects where the primary objective is to increase active participation in sport. In other cases, these are large scale venues or stadia where the focus is more related to social participation and high-performance sport. The scheme has a particular focus on NGBs of sport and local authorities. New swimming pool projects are also considered.

The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 with €86 million awarded to 33 different projects at that time. Additional funding of €37.5 million was then allocated to 27 of these projects in December 2023, bringing the total awarded under this first round of funding under the fund to €124 million. The 2024 round of LSSIF received an unprecedented demand for funding, amounting to €665 million from 96 applications. Grants totalling €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects, were allocated under this second funding round in November last year. With this announcement, the cumulative investment from the LSSIF since 2020 now reaches €297 million. Since the inception of the fund, a number of outstanding facilities have opened to the public and it is plain to see that this benefits society. Projects of significance that have opened since the fund began include the linear walkway and playing fields project in County Meath, phase 1 of Walsh Park in Waterford, the Munster Technological University athletics track in Cork and the redevelopment of St. Conleth’s GAA park in County Kildare.

Significant projects due to open shortly include the Connacht Rugby stadium, Munster Rugby Centre of Excellence, which will officially open this weekend and Askeaton Pool and Leisure Centre.

Before I turn to major sports events, I would first of all like to touch on the related topic of sports diplomacy. In May this year, I was delighted to launch with the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan and the Tánaiste, the first international sports diplomacy framework for Ireland. The framework sets out a vision for Ireland’s approach to international sports diplomacy and recognises the unique power of sport to bring different nations and cultures together and to build connections between communities around the world. It is designed to establish Ireland as a sporting hub and to help build our reputation as a premier sporting nation, while fostering opportunities for international partnerships, cultural exchange and diaspora engagement.

The goals of the framework are to elevate Ireland’s international reputation as a sporting nation; to promote and increase a positive awareness of Ireland overseas to use sport, including our traditional sports, to foster our diaspora’s connection to Ireland; to support international sporting partnerships and co-operation in line with Ireland’s values and interests; and to maximise the economic benefits of our engagement in, and hosting of, international sports. The framework commits to developing a sports diplomacy strategy. My Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have established a steering group to drive this forward.

It is in this context that I note that major international sports events can play a key role in increasing sporting participation, encouraging domestic and international tourism and promoting Ireland as a destination for education and business opportunities. They present a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland and our world-class tourism and sports infrastructure to Europe and the wider world. This was evidenced just last Sunday when Ireland hosted the first-ever American National Football League regular season game in Croke Park. The event was another endorsement of Ireland’s capability to host world-class events and further established Ireland as a premier destination for major international sporting events. It is estimated that the American football game last weekend attracted more than 30,000 international visitors to Ireland and I look forward to receiving the post-event economic assessment soon. Anyone that was around the city or around the country subsequently would certainly have felt the impact of the game and the many visitors that came from abroad to attend it.

The pre-event economic assessment, commissioned by Fáilte Ireland, projected that the event would generate more than €64 million in additional economic activity for Ireland and the headline outcome data will be available to us in the coming weeks. The event provided global exposure for Dublin and Ireland with the live broadcast audience for the game likely to have exceeded 5 million viewers in the US alone. I saw figures in online newspapers today indicating it had the largest viewership for an overseas American football game so far. The game was also broadcast live in Ireland and the UK and social media content from both teams and the NFL featured very strongly across a range of platforms in the lead-in to the game, as well as on game day itself.

The hosting of this event aligns strongly with the programme for Government commitment to "strengthen our political, cultural, economic and trade relationship with the US at all levels". Major sports events offer unique opportunities to forge new ties, strengthen existing ones and are ideal for developing partnerships and promoting Ireland. This is very much proven by the powerful bonds that are being created by, for example, the College Football Classic football game, which is now much more than a game and fosters widespread connections in business, education and culture when those events take place each August. Similar relationships are being developed through the hosting of other events and that is among the reasons the Government continues to support the hosting of major sports events in Ireland and to explore further hosting opportunities. This is demonstrated by the support being provided for a number of events such as the very successful College Football Classic series, which has been running annually since 2022. The series delivers strong all-island tourism benefits with attendees visiting every corner of the country before and after the games. The first-ever NFL regular season game at Croke Park last Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Minnesota Vikings and the UEFA Europa League final that took place in Dublin last year brought a significant economic boost to the country, with over 54% of attendees coming from abroad and a substantial global viewership of 49.5 million. This final gives us a taste of what the UEFA Euro 2028 championship will be like when we host games in Dublin in three years. This will be the largest sporting event Ireland has ever jointly staged. It will also be the largest single international sporting event held in Ireland. Ireland will also jointly host the T20 Cricket World Cup with the United Kingdom in 2030 and I expect this to be a real "all island" event. The events of the weekend just gone, with Shane Lowry and Rory Mcllroy spearheading Europe’s victory in the Ryder Cup in New York, and we were also represented by young John Doyle from Cork in the Junior Ryder Cup, were a clear reminder that Ireland’s hosting of this huge event in Limerick in 2027 is just around the corner. I will touch on that in some more detail.

Ireland’s hosting of the 2027 Ryder Cup in Adare, County Limerick will be truly special. It will be the centenary hosting of this biennial match and it will deliver very strong returns for Ireland in terms of economy, long-term tourism benefits and business and other transatlantic networking opportunities. Last week, I had the pleasure of being in New York to support the European team as it readied for the drama that we all saw on our TV screens over the weekend. While I returned home on Thursday before the competitive action started, the visit afforded me the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the scale, standard, benefits and logistical challenge of hosting this major sporting event. It also allowed me to witness the contribution Ireland has to offer on the international golf stage and to promote Ireland as the next host of the Ryder Cup with the assistance of Tourism Ireland. Local service delivery stakeholders representing organisations such as An Garda Síochána, Limerick City and County Council and the National Transport Authority, who attended an observer programme to better understand what is required to deliver an event of the scale of the Ryder Cup, were also in New York. These stakeholders will take their learnings away and plan for the successful hosting of the event in Adare Manor in 2027.

The Government and the European Tour have agreed a financial support package that involves investment in Irish golf tour events, marketing for the Ryder Cup itself and golf in Ireland generally. To strengthen the professional game in Ireland in the run-up to the event, additional financial support of €8.5 million is also being provided for professional golf events, the Irish Open and the Challenge and Legends tour events scheduled to take place annually in Ireland up to, and including, 2027. Although the competition is played between Europe and the USA, the Ryder Cup always attracts interest from wherever golf is played throughout the world. As the event in 2027 gets closer, work is under way to ensure a smooth delivery. One of our aims for the project is to secure long-term legacy benefits for the Limerick region and golf in Ireland as a whole.

Golf has a very important role in sport for Ireland. As Deputies may know, Ireland is an island paradise for golfers with an astonishing one third of all the world’s natural links courses and some iconic parkland courses as well. Adare Manor is an example of the world-class golf courses that can be found throughout Ireland, where over 400 courses are dotted throughout our scenic landscape. Events like the Ryder Cup help increase participation in the sport and will only strengthen what is a growing sport in Ireland. In 2019, for example, Ireland welcomed 237,000 golf tourists to the country. Those visits generated around €230 million for the economy. Those golf tourists accounted for over 2.2 million bed nights in our hospitality sector. International golf tourism is worth more than €300 million to the economy. Fáilte Ireland research shows that a golf visitor typically spends three times more than the average leisure tourist.

The Ryder Cup is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world and the staging of the biennial tournament at Adare Manor will deliver another major boost to the appeal of Ireland as a world-class golf and tourist destination. Over the coming years, Tourism Ireland will roll out an extensive programme of promotions in key international golf markets to leverage the tourism benefits of the event. As part of hosting the Ryder Cup in 2027 and other possible major golf events in the future, my Department, in partnership with Sport Ireland and Golf Ireland, has developed a comprehensive golf legacy programme created to gain awareness of the benefits of the sport and to increase participation.

Driving this work is a Ryder Cup Government steering group, which facilitates a central government approach to resolving any issue which may arise. This group is made up of all Government stakeholders, along with Golf Ireland, which have roles to play in the successful hosting of the event. The group is chaired by the former Secretary General to the Government and current ambassador to Great Britain, Martin Fraser.

I want to touch on some key sports policy areas that will be of interest to all Members. Increasing participation in sport and ensuring accessibility of sport for all is a key priority for the Government, as it is for people in communities throughout the country. In this regard, I want to highlight that the rate of active sports participation among adults is now 49%, the highest it has ever been. It is also heartening to note that the participation gap between men and women is now below 3%. This progress is due in no small part to substantial Government investment in sport over recent years. In 2018, the national sports policy committed to doubling funding in sport to more than €220 million by 2027, and I am very pleased that this target has been reached two years ahead of schedule. Budget 2025 had an allocation of over €230 million for sport, and I hope to increase that again, given demands for specific additional funding across sport for some key initiatives and the fact of an increasing population.

Core funding of our national governing bodies for sport, local sports partnerships and other funded sporting bodies has also grown strongly. The figure of €31 million in core funding in 2025 is a 76% increase on 2018, when the national sports policy was published. This increased investment will assist in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our sporting organisations, and will enable the sector to continue to deliver increased opportunities for people to participate in a wide variety of sports. Most importantly, it empowers people on a volunteer basis in communities throughout the country to make sport what it is today. There is no doubt, and it is important to acknowledge in the Chamber today, that this is the core lifeblood of sporting participation throughout the country.

Day in and day out, people take time out of their evenings to participate in clubs, train young people and ensure the facilities for which they fund-raise, and which the Government significantly works to enable them to develop, are utilised in a way that delivers the outcome we all want, which is to see people enjoy life, be active in life and be healthy with their wellbeing enhanced as a result. I acknowledge and pay tribute to everybody throughout the country who tonight, this evening, every day this week, on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and next Sunday will ensure that so many people throughout the country have the opportunity to participate in sport and benefit from it, as a result of them being so generous with their time and their talents.

In terms of high-performance sport, we have allocated €27 million across Sport Ireland's high-performance programmes for 2025, including €4.5 million in direct support for athletes through the carding scheme. This is in line with the Government's target of delivering €30 million per annum for high performance sport by 2027. We need to up our ambition in this regard, given the challenges of competing in far-distant Olympiads in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032, and we will not be found wanting in this regard. For the Paris Olympics cycle, which ran from 2021 to 2024, the Government provided a record level of investment of approximately €89 million towards high-performance sport. This was a substantial increase on the €59 million investment in the previous Tokyo cycle. We very much saw this feed through in the performance of our athletes in all disciplines.

Recently, it was wonderful to see our first medal in field sports at the World Athletics Championships, with Kate O'Connor in the heptathlon. In recent weeks we have also seen success in many other sports, from rowing to athletics. That is something we want to see continue, and that we encourage through investing in athletes to be at the very top level internationally, building on the opportunity, which is key, for them to start off the journey at community level and local club level.

Finances are only one part of the puzzle. Proper support for dual careers for athletes is also really important. Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the number of high-performance athletes engaging in third level education. The short- and long-term value of gaining an academic qualification in advance of athletic retirement has been well-documented.

The Government is committed to a sport for all approach, aimed at ensuring that all persons can partake equally in sport and physical activity. This commitment is reaffirmed in the programme for Government and is reflected in Sport Ireland's Women in Sport policy. In support of this commitment, we are investing €4 million this year to fund projects and initiatives across a wide range of sports and to deliver outcomes where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport.

We are also seeing a consistent increase in female representation at sport leadership level year on year, with the overall percentage of women on the boards of sports organisations standing at 48% today, compared to just 24% in 2019. It is important to have visible examples of leadership in both the arena and in the boardroom.

Disability in sport continues to be a key focus, and support for those with disabilities to participate in sport is important to me and the Department. A total of €10 million has also been allocated to sport under the Dormant Accounts Fund for 2025, and this funding will, in particular, drive inclusion, participation and access to sporting opportunities for those with disabilities. Sport Ireland's recently published Statement of Commitment and Action to Disability Inclusion in Sport, and the appointment of a new disability in sport lead, will be key drivers in meeting our targets for increased participation among those with a long-term illness or a disability over the coming years. Swimming continues to be one of the most popular sports and recreational activities for people with a disability. The national swimming strategy, published in August last year, is an example to all sports as to how we can develop a suite of actions to increase access for people with disabilities and improve the culture of inclusion.

I thank the House for the opportunity and for scheduling this debate today. I very much look forward to the contributions of Members. It is important to each and every Member, many of whom participate in sport, and all understand the value of it. Collectively we have seen massive progress over the past generation. There remains much untapped potential, which collectively we must all strive to ensure is achieved. I look forward to the contributions of Members and to working with them in the time ahead to try to build on the progress we have seen in recent times. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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We now move to contributions from Members. Sinn Féin has 15 minutes, which is being divided between a number of speakers. First up is Deputy Joanna Byrne.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Last week, when I saw that statements on sport were on the agenda for this week I was particularly pleased. When I saw the change to the much longer title, with a much narrower focus, for these statements, the realisation dawned that the Government benches were going to use this as an opportunity to be their own cheerleaders, focus on the positive and ignore the bigger picture and the significant challenges our sporting communities face. That said, I welcome the opportunity to highlight the positive effects that grant systems, such as the LSSIF, CSSF and sports capital programme, can have in our communities.

Sport brings people together by creating common good, fostering teamwork and friendship and breaking down social barriers, but sport needs adequate facilities to allow greatness to thrive and hearts to shine. In the last round of the large-scale sports infrastructure fund there were 96 applications with 35 being successful. Significant funding such as this is seismic for many sporting organisations throughout the entire spectrum of sport. It can alter the trajectory of a club for decades to come. That said, for those which are not successful it can also send clubs and organisations on a downward spiral with no alternative hope for the immediate future, be it to expand their facilities which, in turn, opens so many opportunities, or whatever their ambitions may have been to preserve, protect and enhance their club for generations to come.

In last year's round of applications in my constituency Drogheda United and Louth GAA were both unsuccessful in their applications. I know first-hand the impact a setback such as this can have to development plans, morale and internal harmony. This is why it is crucial that there needs to be more investment in every one of these funding streams in next week's budget and, in particular, the LSSIF.

Despite these funding setbacks for infrastructure, both clubs defied the odds and on the pitch brought so much silverware home to the wee county throughout this year.

We had the Drogs with their FAI Cup win, the Louth GAA senior footballers with the Delaney Cup, the Louth ladies with the all-Ireland junior trophy, the Louth under-20s with the Leinster cup and the Louth hurlers with the NHL division 4 title. Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement. Both Drogheda United and Louth GAA, along with the 59 other unsuccessful applicants to the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, are keen and eager to persist and to apply again. With additional funding channelled into these streams, the Minister of State holds the power to allow these sporting clubs to achieve their aspirations and, in turn, to empower their sports stars to reach for the stars.

Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made commitments in their manifestoes to increase the betting tax from 2% to 3% and to use this funding to invest in sport. That has not been done yet. An increase of one percentage point in this levy would have raised approximately €50 million in desperately needed funding for Irish sport. Sinn Féin is committed to investing in sport, striving to increase participation and making our population healthier, stronger and more robust. The Minister of State can fund more projects and make more dreams come true if he just implements this simple measure. It is an easy win for him.

It would be remiss of me not to impress upon the Minister of State today the importance of League of Ireland academy funding in next week's budget. League of Ireland clubs have been waiting on Government funding for their academies for some years. A recent Double Pass audit of League of Ireland academies funded by this Government found that our academies lag significantly behind their international competitors in terms of full-time staff and player contact hours. Significant investment in infrastructure and personnel is required to meet standards. The audit highlighted a deficiency in full-time roles, a lack of indoor facilities and late-starting women's academies as major issues, leading the FAI to request €8 million in annual Government funding for academy improvements. While the audit is a crucial first step in establishing an academy certification model, the expectation is that this will unlock future investment. As a result, the League of Ireland academies investment proposal was submitted to the Minister of State this week in the FAI's pre-budget submission. It has taken on board feedback from the Department and Sport Ireland as well as the results of the Double Pass audit and revises the ask from last year to focus on a phased approach. In this initial phase, the proposal is for investment of €4.5 million per annum for two years, which will deliver 81 new full-time academy jobs, a women's under-15 programme for all clubs, athletic development testing equipment for all clubs, a centralised player platform to track all League of Ireland academy players and a quality assurance and audit process for all clubs.

While I acknowledge everything the Minister of State outlined in his opening statement and commend the strides that have been made so far, it is fair to say that, while much has been done, there is much more to do. I expect to see League of Ireland academy funding front and centre in next week's budget, along with enhanced funding for the LSSIF and other sporting grants to continue the positive effects the Minister of State outlined here this evening. It is not only I who expects this; nearly every house in this country has somebody involved in sport of some sort. They too will be watching in earnest to ensure the Minister of State is fulfilling his role and supporting the growth and sustainability of sport in this country.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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Before I begin, I will give credit to Erica Stoll, who conducted herself with immense dignity, poise and grace during the Ryder Cup in the face of the abuse she experienced while her husband, Rory McIlroy, was playing. That abuse has no place in any sport whatsoever. It would be remiss of us not to acknowledge that here today. It was wholly inappropriate and those responsible for it need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror and figure out what exactly they were trying to achieve.

Decent sports facilities should not be luxuries because they are the foundation for community health and opportunity. We all know the headline figures but, while any funding is always welcome, the story beneath the headline exposes unfairness in some areas being consistently under-resourced in comparison to others. Earlier this year, Storm Éowyn took down the wall of Longford Town Football Club's stadium. That wall stayed down for months. No funding came through from Government or UEFA. In the end, the club paid for the repair with donations and local goodwill. That is just not sustainable. It is not fair to the communities who give so much to the game that they are continually asked to dig deeper and deeper. We must do better.

Not too far away from that stadium, Mostrim United in Edgeworthstown is one of the fastest growing clubs in Longford with some 150 children playing every week. However, those kids have to travel to Granard because there is no proper astro pitch for them to train on in their own home town. That is the real story. It is about those young players being left behind and the message that is being sent to them. This is happening against a fall in participation in sports. Teachers told me this week of concerns at school level. We are losing children at these stages, when activity, belonging and teamwork matter most. We should be trying to keep them engaged.

We have been talking about League of Ireland academies, pathways to elite performance and the important and vital work they do but without facilities and grassroots supports, who will be taking up those pathways? I genuinely fear that we will expose further disenfranchisement among rural and poorer communities. Do we want to keep patching walls when they fall and relying on locals and volunteers to dig ever deeper or do we want to invest properly in sport, pitches, facilities and the future of our young people? I know what my answer is.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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I have raised with the Minister of State previously the need for a publicly owned swimming pool in Loughrea, County Galway. As he will be aware, this is something the community in Loughrea has been seeking for a very long time, more than 30 years at this stage. There is a new committee to work on this in place in Loughrea and I am pleased to be part of it. It is making great efforts to progress this. There is work ongoing to get a feasibility study completed and to move things along so that a funding application can be made down the line. There is a huge need for this in Loughrea. It is a growing town with a population of over 6,000 people and a large rural hinterland. Of course, a project like this would bring huge benefits to everybody in the community, particularly children, older people and people with a disability.

The challenge will be to get this project shovel-ready and in a position to access capital funding. Significant funding is needed for the initial stages of project development because, as it stands, the LSSIF requires a huge contribution from the local authority and does not assist with project development, the purchase of a site and so on. As I have raised with the Minister of State previously, that is a particular challenge in County Galway because our local authority has serious funding issues. Galway County Council has made a specific request to the Government for €3 million to assist it in developing proposals for swimming pools. I ask the Minister of State to consider this request and to take into account the funding issues experienced by local authorities like Galway County Council when he is designing the next round of this scheme. The people of Loughrea and surrounding areas cannot miss out on a facility like this because of Galway County Council's underfunding. They are entitled to the same level of facilities as people elsewhere.

I also ask the Minister of State to ensure that funding is provided for League of Ireland academies in next week's budget. This is vital to protect the game in this country and to realise its full potential.

Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Every community in Ireland knows the value of sport. It is essential for our physical health, our mental well-being and strengthening community cohesion. Countless reports show the enormous social and health returns on every euro invested in sport. While the Minister of State and his colleagues are quick to jump on the bandwagon and praise the success of our athletes, they do so with empty words. The reality is that Ireland is near the bottom of the table for investment in sport and recreation among our EU counterparts. This Government builds up the hype with announcements of new funding but, in reality, that money is locked away from the communities that need it. Since 2019, out of €124 million allocated through the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, a mere €32 million has been drawn down. This Government has a clear inability to handle money. With one hand, it locks away funding for vital sports projects and, with the other, it spends hundreds of thousands on a single bike shed. That same money could have transformed a sports facility in Carlow or Kilkenny.

Another prime example was the decision by the Minister of State's colleagues not to draw down millions in EU Brexit adjustment funding to make them available to Irish football. This could have supported the development of our own domestic football academies post Brexit. The European Commission stated that our League of Ireland clubs would have been prime candidates for this EU funding but the Government did not even bother to apply. A clear step change is needed in how the Minister of State and his Department view sport. It cannot continue to be yet another afterthought. Sport needs to be viewed as an investment in the well-being of our society rather than as a cost.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Collinstown Football Club in my area is right at the heart of my community. There are 28 teams with over 400 players.

Since 2019, it has been waiting for a dressing room from South Dublin County Council through a sports capital grant. Nothing happened until 2024 and the club had to apply for more money because of the delay which meant costs had spiralled. This football team, which caters for boys, girls, men's and women's teams, has no dressing room. Some 400 players are without a dressing room. It is simply not good enough. South Dublin County Council is prioritising two other projects in the next while, but they have been delayed. Collinstown Football Club will not be provided with a dressing room until the other projects have been completed. There is delay after delay. Sports capital grants are welcome, but they must be put in place in a timely manner.

I am an avid League of Ireland supporter. I am never happier than when I am in Richmond Park cheering on St. Pat's at the weekend. I am a season ticket holder and I want to take this opportunity to wish St. Pat's all the best in the League of Ireland semi-final on Friday night against Cork City. The standard of football in the League of Ireland has improved dramatically over the years, but the clubs need more help. It is crucial that the League of Ireland gets funding for its academies in the upcoming budget, not only to protect the game but also to preserve football for future generations so that my kids can go and watch the standard of League of Ireland improve year after year.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Ward is never happier than when he is following St. Pat's but I hope he is not too happy on Friday night. Best of luck to City.

The growth in the League of Ireland is a welcome development in recent years. More and more people are interested in and are going to games. In terms of the League of Ireland and our national team, we need to examine the issue of academies. It is not for nothing that we are not in the place we want to be in terms of international football. The two are connected and we need to ensure the investment happens.

There is increased interest across the State in swimming following the success of Daniel Wiffen and so on. The infrastructure in our cities and towns is nowhere near good enough in terms of access. People are waiting a very long time to get swimming lessons for their kids. In the vast majority of cases, they are privately provided through hotels, private centres and so on. There are 17 leisure centres in Belfast City Council's area, but only three in Cork city. Belfast is about 70% larger than Cork, but it is not five times bigger. There is a huge discrepancy which I believe is replicated right across the State . We need to examine not only Cork but the situation right across the board in terms of the provision of publicly provided leisure centres. Clubs in Togher and Ballyphehane will be looking at applications for sports capital grants when they are released, but we also need to be looking of the municipal provision of sports facilities because we are way behind other jurisdictions in that regard.

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputies from the Labour Party are dividing their time.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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Sport has always been more than just a game. It has the power to unite people, create memories, give us moments of pride that last a lifetime and improve health outcomes. I was a soccer referee for 15 years, which was good for physical and mental health to some degree.

Over the past year, Ireland has enjoyed some truly great sporting highs. Last weekend Shane Lowry played a key role as Europe clinched an historic win over the US in the Ryder Cup. We watched Kate O’Connor make history with silver at the World Athletics Championships. We cheered as our rowers struck double gold at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai. These achievements remind us of what sport brings to a community and a nation. It brings us together, either through shared joy or shared heartbreak, and it builds lasting friendships.

Whether it is a child’s first day playing for a club, a parent or guardian going to a wet pitch to cheer them on or a local club volunteer who is always on hand to help, sport connects us. Even those who say they are not sports fans will always take a peek when Ireland is playing or an Irish athlete is standing on the world stage about to represent the country because they feel the sense of pride and hope that it brings. While the benefits are clear, the truth is that we must do more.

In Dublin Fingal West, we have been lucky in funding streams over the past while for projects that are coming through like the Lusk Sports Hub, which we hope will begin next year, Rush Athletic Football Club's new all-weather pitch and, recently enough, the swimming pool in Balbriggan. Let us be clear:; it is nowhere near enough. The population is booming across Dublin Fingal West, including Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Balbriggan and Ballyboughal which have all moved from being villages to significantly sized towns over the past 20 years. Rush Athletic Football Club has not had a new grass pitch in the past 30 years, yet the population has tripled during that time. We need proper investment in community hubs so that people of all ages can access and rely on them. Last week, I received emails from students in St. Joseph's inquiring about better sporting facilities for the area, many of whom play for Lusk United or Rush Athletic Football Club.

Ireland spends over €1 billion year trying to tackle obesity, but only €230 million on sports and recreation. The imbalance makes no sense if we are serious about public health, stronger communities and real opportunity. Funding for sport and recreation must match those words. The Labour Party believes sport is about inclusion, equality and integration. Every euro invested pays back many times over in health and community well-being. That is why we want a community sports facility guarantee so that every town of over 5,000 people has a multisports facility with pitches, pools and halls for communities to use. We also need inclusive facilities with proper changing rooms for women and girls and accessible spaces for people with disabilities.

The Labour Party wants sport and fitness to be affordable for everybody. That is why in budget 2026 we are calling for a social inclusion fund to support free or reduced memberships for gyms and sports clubs, as well as tax relief on fees and a lower VAT rate on gyms and activity classes. If we are serious about tackling health inequalities, budget 2026 must invest in making sport and fitness accessible to all. Sport is not just about medals; it is about health, inclusion, community and opportunity, but this takes proper investment at community level. The population in Dublin Fingal West is expanding significantly and is continuing to expand. We need to start thinking about this in terms of building communities, and a social inclusion fund is a step towards this.

Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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You learn something new about your colleagues every day in this House. Every euro spent on sports funding is money well spent. At a time when there is a housing emergency, the Government must concentrate on the provision of the largest number of houses possible, but as I have said before in the House, this cannot be done without the proper social infrastructure, including sport. By investing in sport as one of the pillars of any social infrastructure, this will allow new houses to become inclusive communities, something which must become a target for all of us in the House.

A growing problem for many sports clubs that I deal with is the lack of additional playing fields. I have used the example of my hometown of Athy in the House, where many clubs, including Gaelic football, soccer and rugby, are struggling to cater for the growing number of teams they have given their current facilities. Unfortunately, the local camogie club, catering for over 300 young women playing that great game, has no facilities of its own and is dependent on the goodwill of the other local GAA clubs to train and play their matches.

Thankfully, we have a solution in Athy. As a former county councillor, I, along with my then colleagues, identified 13 acres of land that could be designed as local authority playing pitches and provide a solution to the growing demand from all these clubs, the local camogie club in particular. The current elected representatives in the area, including my colleagues, Councillors Aoife Breslin and Mark Leigh, have progressed this idea and allocated some LPT funding to the project. This would be an ideal pilot project for the Government to get involved with and is one I hope the Minister of State will support. Like Athy, many other towns in Kildare and throughout the State have the same problem. The Government, through the local authorities, now needs to lead in the provision of additional playing pitches through investment, the sports capital programme and the large-scale investment programme.

We need also to continue to invest in stadiums in this country. I have seen the difference in investment in my county grounds has made. The Minister of State mentioned Cedral St. Conleth's Park in Newbridge. The GAA is so important to our communities and our county grounds should reflect the pride that so many of us have in our county teams.

While League of Ireland teams continue to do us proud in Europe, some clubs have to switch to another stadium to host their home matches. Given the money now available to these clubs in Europe, the Government and private industry must look to investing in more of the stadiums in the League of Ireland.

Our successes on the international stage must be reflected in the facilities on offer for our elite athletes and those many aspiring athletes. The continued development of Abbotstown and ensuring we have the facilities for all sports to train and develop their athletes must be the ambition of this Government and all future governments. As the film stated, "Build it and they will come". The benefit to this country of participation in sport cannot be taken lightly and we must continue to see the investment at every possible opportunity.

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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I will be extremely parochial with my contribution. We are a year on now since the general election. Large-scale sport infrastructure funding was granted to Cork County Council, North Cork Athletics Club and Mallow Athletic Club for an athletics track at Carhookeal in Mallow. Speaking last year, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, said the project would be developed in the short term on a use it or lose it basis. One year later, nothing has progressed. This is not the short term. It is my understanding that all documentation requested by the Minister of State's Department has now been submitted by the applicants. There are now serious concerns in relation to the viability of the funding and whether it is still on the table as an option, and in relation to the gateways being put before the local authority and both the athletics clubs.

I commend the local authority and both athletics clubs on what they have done to try to progress this project. It will be a significant one for the area and is a development so badly needed in what is a rundown centre. It was previously the GAA centre in Mallow. It is important that we progress this project as quickly as possible because there is extreme disappointment out there. Before the general election last year, a fantastic announcement was made by the Government of €2 million in grant funding. Ministers went on the radio and said this was going to be provided in the short term. We are now a year on and we have not seen one single thing done about it. Barriers are being put up concerning the amount of paperwork that needs to be submitted by the applicants. I ask the Minister of State and his Department to progress this project as quickly as possible. I ask the Minister of State to engage with me and my office in relation to getting a letter from the Department that I could produce to the members of athletics clubs and to members of the community that would show his commitment to the project for the Mallow athletics track in the short term.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I start by supporting Deputy Kenny's call for clarity for that project in Mallow. To be fair, the funding announcement was made. I do not think the funding is in jeopardy at all. I do not want this to turn into a negative story because the funding is still there. My understanding is that extra information was requested and it has now been submitted. It is now just a matter of sign-off. We would appreciate an update from the Minister of State. To be fair, Councillors Pat Hayes and Gearóid Murphy have been in contact with me about this project as well.

I will say something positive initially. I know it might be said that is surprising, but anyway. Sports capital funding is probably the most meaningful thing I have been involved with as a public representative over the last six years. I think its ability to deliver projects in every community is unmatched in terms of other projects the Government delivers. I can list off a whole range of projects that have been successful. I do not think there was a refusal in the last round for my entire constituency. I am sorry, there might have been one. Basically, anybody that applied, ticked all the boxes and provided the appropriate information got funding. The Minister of State's predecessor is to be commended on that, and when the current Minister of State does his own cycle of grants next year, I hope it will be equally successful.

I will make one point in relation to the LSSIF. It is something I have spoken to the Minister of State about previously. I will not mention any specifics, but the term "use it or lose it" was used by the previous speaker. We have a project, which I will not name, that was allocated €2 million back in 2020 or 2019. It has still not been drawn down and the organisation continues to sit on that money while there are other viable projects for that organisation to look at in terms of delivering local sports facilities. In future, I think some kind of a time limit must be placed on these LSSIF grants in particular. They are major projects and involve big money. At the end of the day, people get high expectations when they see these announcements. They want to see the projects delivered. I think this approach is worthy of consideration in the next round of the LSSIF, which will probably be in 2027.

On sports capital, we need to have a major focus in the next round on multisport applications. I think they give us the most bang for our buck. I am dealing with many organisations now, including in Carrignavar, that will be doing a combined CCIF and, hopefully, LSSIF project in the future to deliver a massive multisport project. The emphasis needs to go on delivering those projects above all others because they have the ability to reach a wider audience.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the debate. Investing in sport and sports infrastructure is one of the wisest choices a state can make. It pays back in terms of public health, safer communities and confidence in young people, a confidence they carry into schools and their working lives. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, we are already seeing the benefits. Our area received €1.5 million under the community sports facilities fund in 2024 to improve council facilities at Loughlinstown, Meadowbrook and Stonebridge Road in Shankill. Of course, significant funding was also provided to Monkstown Boxing Club for its wonderful clubhouse in Mounttown. Some clubs, though, are still in need of facilities, like Pearse Rovers FC, Granada FC, Shankill GAA and the Olympic Centre of Excellence in the harbour, which the Minister of State has visited.

Last November, €4.6 million was allocated under the LSSIF for a new facility at Hyde Park in Dalkey, to be shared between Dalkey United and Cuala GAA. That is a flagship project with real local dividends, but success brings pressure and pitches in Dublin are at breaking point. Demand outstrips supply most evenings and weekends, and clubs juggle waiting lists, shorten sessions and undertake long trips across the city and county. If we want participation to grow, we need more playable hours, floodlighting, all-weather upgrades, safer routes to and from facilities and a shared use agreement with schools and colleges on other facilities. Equal access matters too. Girls' teams and disability sports need guaranteed peak time too and not the leftover slots.

Looking ahead, I encourage every club to get ready for the next round of funding under the community sport facility fund call in 2026. Obviously, they should know that shovel-ready projects win all the time. It would help if the Minister of State's Department could publish an indicative timeline and a short guide on how to be ready for smaller clubs so they are not left behind. Can the Minister of State indicate when the next round of the LSSIF will open? We also need a mid-tier stream of grants to bridge the gap between the small grants and funding for stadium-scale projects. With that, we can relieve pitch pressures, widen participation and keep our young people active, connected and thriving.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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A number of Deputies have noted the recent sporting achievements of many Irish athletes. I take the opportunity to congratulate Fiona Murtagh, a Galway native, who was successful in the World Rowing Championships in the single sculls grade. She is an Olympian. I think this may be her second world title, but it is certainly a notable achievement and deserves congratulations.

I echo the sentiments of many speakers about how advantageous and beneficial this programme is to communities in terms of the availability and the significant improvements made in the quality and quantity of sporting facilities in communities across the country. It is money well spent. The fact that the community has to come up with resources itself embellishes the scheme and generates a sense of community surrounding a project. This is also welcome.

Also welcome, of course, is the increased participation in sport and the increase in the variety of sports now available to children. In my youth, what was offered was quite limited. There was football, soccer, and perhaps rugby and hurling. Beyond that, though, sport really was not an option for many people. The variety of sports now available for young people is certainly something I think this scheme has helped to create. It is beneficial for all young people and for people of every age group. I share Deputy Devlin's sentiment: it would be good to know when the next iteration of the process will open and if we can get that information, it would help.

The new primary school curriculum doubles the teaching time provided for PE. While most people will welcome that change, we must recognise that many schools do not have adequate facilities for teaching PE. Certainly, very few schools have indoor facilities of the standard required, and many schools have very limited outdoor facilities. More modern schools have facilities, but older schools do not. I will make a point about the next iteration of this process.

As part of the criteria, it should be an advantage for your project if you will provide access to your local primary schools to use the facility at no charge. If we could include that in the criteria, it would be beneficial.

We need to examine the charging regime the local authorities that have availed of this scheme are employing for the use of those facilities by the community groups who use them. Anecdotally, I have heard that many of those groups are paying a lot of money to use those facilities. Those facilities have been grant-aided by the Government. An examination of that is necessary.

The programme for Government commits the Government to an "audit of sports facilities to address shortages in areas underserved including towns with populations over 1,500." We should progress that. Many people have mentioned where there are certain locations within their constituencies that do not have adequate facilities. We should pinpoint those.

In the past, there used be a rapid top-up for the sports capital grant. I am not sure if that came from the Minister of State's Department or the Department of community. Of course, that helped to develop facilities in disadvantaged communities. We should look at trying to bring that back.

On a local point, the Minister of State met a group regarding an LSSIF grant in Galway. We might discuss that again. It relates to the aquatic centre in Knocknacarra.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I praise the very considerable investment in sport that has been made by this and the previous Government and commend the Minister of State and his officials on the co-operation with local sports groups on the sports capital scheme and the LSSIF.

In reviewing both the sports capital scheme and the LSSIF, I will make a number of comments. It is essential, as colleagues have said, that where sporting codes are sharing facilities, that will be rewarded. Facilities must have equal access for men and women, for boys and girls, but I would also ask in the next round that particular regard would be had to recognising applications that ensure increased applications by those with a disability or by those who are neurodivergent. It is important within all our communities that sport be inclusive.

It is essential as well that we find mechanisms that will allow clubs and organisations that do not have traditional access to land or facilities ways that they can do that because this is a huge barrier for many clubs. I am particularly thinking about boxing clubs that do not have a home. Like colleagues, I think that partnership with schools and, as Deputy Devlin has mentioned, that mid-tier of funding between sports capital and LSSIF should be considered.

I praise the support that has been given in north Wexford for the development of the east-coast sporting hub, located north of Gorey town. It is a multisport facility. The first phase will fund Gorey Cricket Club, Gorey Hockey Club and Croghan Athletics to have homes there. The second phase, which we hope will be funded under the next round of the LSSIF, will provide facilities for Gorey Cycling Club and basketball. It is a showcase example of a partnership between a local authority and a number of sporting codes to be able to deliver a multisport facility. It is a model.

I want to raise also the question of sporting facilities in Arklow. Wicklow did not receive any funding under the LSSIF. I have been assured by Wicklow County Council that under the next round, it will be prioritising the development of sporting facilities in Arklow, including the Coral indoor sports hall and the facilities around the building. What is critical there is the need for a new running track for St. Benedict's athletics club. As the Minister of State might know, Arklow is the home of Ronnie Delany, who was Ireland's gold-medal winner over 1,500 m in the Melbourne 1956 Olympics. There are many great runners in the community but they do not have an adequate athletics track. In the next round of the LSSIF, as Wicklow did not get any funding, I would hope that could be prioritised.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Dar ndóigh, tá tairbhe iontach dearfach ag baint le hinfheistiú ama, airgid agus fuinnimh in aon spórt. Tá an tairbhe sin le feiscint i saol daoine óga, ina gcuid oideachais, sa tsláinte atá acu agus, go háirithe sa lá atá inniu, ina meabhairshláinte. Tá sé le feiscint chomh maith sa phobal áitiúil i gcoitinne. Tá ardú meanman i gceist chomh maith nuair atá an fhoireann áitiúil nó an fhoireann náisiúnta ag dul chun cinn. Caithfimid déanamh cinnte de gur féidir linn a bheith san iomaíocht ag an leibhéal sin. Ní tharlaíonn sé sin gan infheistiú ceart agus cuí ag an leibhéal is ísle. Is féidir linn i bhfad Éireann níos mó a dhéanamh leis an bpota airgid atá againn chun a dhéanamh cinnte de go bhfuil an réimse is leithne daoine i gceist agus go bhfuil siadsan ag fáil tairbhe as. Mar shampla, i mo cheantar féin, cén fáth nach bhfuil rian ar an bpáirc imeartha atá geallta do na Saoirsí? Where is the complex for the Sporting Liberties, the umbrella organisation for several local clubs in Dublin 8? The Liberties was declared this week as of the coolest places in the world to live in, but it is still without a pitch for soccer, Gaelic, rugby, hurling, camogie and much more. It is a challenge for the Minister of State and for the local authority and that needs to be overcome.

Cén fáth gur tógadh sé pháirc astro sacair i mBaile Átha Cliath 10 agus 12 i bpáirceanna a bhaineann leis an gcomhairle cathrach ach nár tógadh aon cheann ar mhaithe le peil, iomáint ná camógaíocht? Uaireanta, ní gá páirc iomlán a bheith athraithe ó fhéar go astro ach páirc chleachtaidh chun a dhéanamh cinnte de go bhfuil fad curtha leis an bpáirc imeartha. Ag caint faoi sacar, League of Ireland clubs have been calling for funding for academies for years. If we are to continue to see improvements in the local league teams, to see young players progress to the teams in those leagues or to see them go further afield to enhance their sporting careers, and if we are to celebrate the battles, wins and losses of the Irish football team into the future, we need to invest in those academies in the budget next week so that we are not lagging behind our international competitors. An immediate investment of €9 million over the first two years would ensure that those academies are on a sound footing, and ensure those jobs required to guarantee that young people benefit fully at the age required and that there is a women's under-15s programme for all the clubs and more. That needs to be declared in next week's budget for Ireland to excel in the many sports we have.

We have invested time and effort but if we had invested a lot more money, imagine where the vast undertapped potential would bring us. That is the vision. Hopefully, in the future, it can be realised.

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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The next group is the Social Democrats, who are sharing time. The first up is Deputy Gibney.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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The power of sport for inclusion, integration and community in Ireland is undeniable. Our towns, villages, cities and suburbs are all home to sports clubs that have become vital social hubs for people of all ages.

In my constituency of Dublin Rathdown, sports capital funding, in conjunction with the time and dedication of volunteers, has meant that grassroots sport in our area has been able to swell membership across a number of codes and to welcome more people from our communities to share in the joy that sport brings.

This funding to support the work of our clubs and the work of national governing bodies, for everything from equipment to facilities, is crucial. The delivery of this, through the sports capital programme and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, has benefited over the past number of years our clubs, our councils and the NGBs that govern them.

There is, however, much more that we need to do to support our amateur, professional and social athletes and their supporters and I would like to speak about a couple of great clubs in my constituency by way of example. Rosemount Mulvey FC is a football club in Dundrum. The club caters for all ages and abilities and runs multiple weekend morning academies and social and competitive teams. The club always seeks to keep participation up and prohibitive cost barriers down. Through sports capital funding, Rosemount Mulvey FC has seen huge growth. The funding has been invested in equipment to support increasing numbers and teams across all age groups. While goalposts, equipment, team kits and medical kits are welcome, playing space is in short supply and high demand for teams in the club. This is why the club is seeking the development of a second pitch. Without it, the club will be forced to turn children away, which is something it desperately does not want to do.

Stillorgan-Rathfarnham rugby club is another club in my constituency that is experiencing huge growth and has benefited from the sports capital grant. The club caters for a number of boys and girls and has a thriving adult section also. It is one of the most brilliant community rugby clubs, with great ambition for both the junior and senior sections while retaining a wonderful junior club ethos. Its emphasis on making rugby fun and accessible is evident in every aspect of its work. As a former rugby player myself and a massive rugby fan, I was delighted to visit the grounds a few months ago for a ceremonial turning of the sod on its new clubhouse. The setting is stunning, nestled in the Dublin Mountains, and full of passion for this wonderful sport, one that caters for all different types of athletes. There really is a place for everyone on a rugby pitch. After decades of uncertainty and pitch leasing, the club now has a permanent home and is building that new clubhouse, which will cater for not only the rugby club but many other groups too.

The value of these bricks-and-mortar homes for our clubs cannot be understated. This really hit home for me when I attended an event celebrating 25 years of the Ballinteer St. John's GAA clubhouse during the summer.

Many other countries have large-scale legacy infrastructure from hosting major tournaments and events, such as the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London after the Olympics. In Ireland, we do not have infrastructure of that nature so we must carefully plan for it to ensure our sports communities are adequately resourced.

The large-scale sport infrastructure fund has started to deliver for our communities. The multisport campus on the Tibradden Road, which Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club enjoys, is one fantastic example of this, and many other groups will enjoy as it continues to develop. The Samuel Beckett Civic Campus in Ballyogan is another beneficiary of this fund and represents a real success of what can be achieved in partnership with local councils.

As a member of the culture, communications and sports committee, I intend to be vigilant and attentive to the balance we strike, as a State, between investment in grassroots and elite pathways funding. The kids in our local clubs need heroes to worship but also clubhouses to change in. Of course, for all of the clubs I have mentioned this evening from my area that have been fortunate to access this funding, there are many more that have unfulfilled aspirations and potential because of the lack of funding. Sport fosters community, sheds difference and celebrates the best qualities. Sport is a public good. It is through this lens that we must view these programmes and funds, and continue to push for better delivery for our clubs and centres.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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I often stand up here to debate the challenges facing Government Ministers. I am on the record in conversation with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and I again commend him and previous Governments on their investment in sports facilities. I know of a number of pockets of County Kildare where the population has doubled in 20 years. The county has one of the youngest populations in the country. We have seen investments coming from the Government in a number of sports facilities. I take the opportunity to thank the Minister of State and the Government for that investment. It is paying off tenfold in the participation rates of children and young people in sports that they previously would not have had the opportunity to engage in. Whether it is in GAA clubs or in Prosperous Lawn Tennis Club, for example, it works. Investment in services like this really pays off.

However, I would be lying to the Minister of State if I did not say it is imperfect. What is happening is that there is a hierarchy in communities whereby some clubs have been on the receiving end of grants and others do not seem able to tap into that service. Prosperous United soccer club is one of those that has a burgeoning population of members and needs to upgrade its facilities. It would be remiss of me not to highlight this. I acknowledge that we need to report and go through the processes. However, quite often, applying for grants in itself requires a workload that many volunteer boards just cannot take. It is worth mentioning. I do not have an answer for the Minister of State. I just want to highlight that this can often be a barrier to accessing this fund.

There have been many contributions today. I ask the Minister of State to take note of the issue of the public swimming pool for north Kildare, which has been promised by many Governments to the communities in Celbridge, Leixlip, Maynooth and Kilcock, as he is aware. Can we get an update in writing at some point in the next couple of weeks as to where he and the Department see this project as currently standing? We are talking about tens of thousands of people without access to a public swimming pool. If the Government can invest, I guarantee that people will participate.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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My eagerness to speak on this subject stems from the fact that I understand sport has an incredible impact, not only in our communities and in the lives of the people who get to benefit from it. When we debate the impact of the sports capital programme, the large-scale sport infrastructure fund and the major sporting events programme, it is important that we talk honestly about how we measure success when it comes to sport in this State. Recent discussions have taken place in regard to the NFL, for example. There was a conversation about €10 million being invested, which brought in 30,000 visitors to the city and all that stems from that. I see the logic of this and I do not wish to cast aspersions on it. Those events have an economic impact that is worth acknowledging. The same goes for the Ryder Cup. The Government recently allocated €56 million to the Ryder Cup, which takes place in two years’ time. I now see the billionaire J.P. McManus coming out and calling for another €30 million of State investment on top of what has been given.

I get that. We can quantify those types of events in terms of the hotels that are filled and the number of tourists brought in. I absolutely screamed with delight and pride the other day when Shane Lowry scored. I appreciate all of those factors, which can be quantified in terms of hotel rooms and so on. However, the type of investment in sporting infrastructure, football pitches and facilities for young people who will probably never achieve a medal, never play in the Premier League or never see me cheering for them on a Sunday on the television is more difficult to quantify. At the same time, it is infinitely more important because it is about what happens in our communities.

For example, in Dublin Central in the north inner city, which I am proud to represent, and in the south inner city, there is no football pitch or GAA pitch. If someone wants to play rugby on the north side of Dublin, where exactly would they go? The facilities are all over on the south side. There is a dearth that requires examination. Are we expecting people who are probably already struggling to fill out the forms to get the cultural and collaborative capital that is needed for that? We need to see the gap that is there and then seek to fill it. That is where investment really matters - when, as a State, we identify gaps and go in to try to penetrate through them.

We need only look at some of the athletes we have been most proud of in the last couple of weeks. Kate O'Connor said recently that her father would soon have to return to work on a job share arrangement simply to provide a steady income while still coaching her towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. That is one of Ireland's brightest medal hopes talking about the fact that her dad will have to go back to a job share so we can potentially scream with delight for her during the Olympics in a couple of years’ time. Investments need to be made across the board. Some require event management, such as what happened over the weekend and will happen in two years, and some just require leadership. We have to invest in top athletes like Kate O'Connor and also in the people who will probably never become athletes but will develop civic engagement and civic responsibility. They need changing rooms and facilities, and they need the State to take an interest. That also reaps rewards, just in very different ways.

A lot of good work comes from this programme and I believe we can expand on that. I ask the Government to look at where we can make an impact, which would bring its own rewards.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this vital issue of sports capital grants and their significance to communities right across the country, in particular in my own constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. I will focus specifically on the sports capital grants, which play an essential role in promoting healthy lifestyles and community spirit. The investment of €250 million over the last couple of years in over 3,000 groups throughout the country reflects the drive to improve facilities in order to offer everyone an equal chance to participate.

Changes were implemented in the last round, where the maximum grants for local projects increased from €150,000 to €200,000. Given the escalation in costs and the inflation we are experiencing, I believe this figure needs to be increased to a minimum of €300,000 in the next round. For clubs that do not have their own facilities, the previous scheme had equipment grants of up to €70,000. Again, with the increase in costs, I believe this needs to increase to €100,000. This would make a huge difference to clubs across the country.

In my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, we have had fantastic success in the sports capital grants. There has been recent funding for clubs like Highview Athletic soccer club in Graiguenamanagh, Carrickshock GAA club and the Young Irelands GAA club, which have gone through phases 1, 2 and 3. The grants have transformed communities and their access to sport. I am talking about sport for all, not just elite sport. For every single person, male or female, young or old, who wants to participate in sport, the facilities need to be there around the country. That is fantastic. Whether someone is an elite athlete or a grassroots participant, the opportunity is there to avail of these facilities.

I urge the Minister of State and the Government to continue to prioritise the sports capital grants in the upcoming budget and to significantly increase funding streams in that regard, with a particular focus on Carlow-Kilkenny. There is a huge sporting history and culture in both of those counties and we will be looking for as much funding as possible. Let us make sure that every single community, regardless of size or location, has access to world-class sports facilities, whatever the sporting interest may be. While it is important that our cities get this, we need to make sure that rural Ireland and rural communities get their fair slice of the pie as well. Investing in our sporting infrastructure is an investment in the future of our young people and our communities. From my perspective, it is an investment in rural Ireland as well.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Miriam Lord once described sport as the greatest of all Ministries because you get to tour every parish in the country and see best practice. In the last two rounds of sports capital funding, certainly in my own county - I think it is probably the same around the country - every group that had a decent application put together properly got funding of some sort or the other. It is transformative. As other speakers have said, from grassroots level and tiny tots up to people who play sports to an elite level and represent county and country, if you invest in sport, you invest in people's welfare and also their joy.

I thank the Minister of State's predecessors, Deputy Chambers and Deputy Byrne, and I am sure he will do an equally great job. In the last round of funding, clubs like Broadford GAA, Shannon Town United, Cratloe GAA Club and, in my home parish, Parkfield FC and Parteen-Meelick GAA club all benefited. My children cross over the border once a week into Limerick to play for Shannon rugby and the joy that gives them is great.

I will make a couple of quick points. I would like to see dance included in this funding. When I was a primary school teacher, we used to get the children to do an annual fitness test. The children in our classes who danced had an incredible level of fitness. We have classified scouting as a sporting activity and we have brought golf courses in. I think Irish dancing should be brought in and considered to be in the realm of sport fitness and wellness.

As someone who taught physical education for years, I know it is well and good overhauling the curriculum but there are strands in that 1999 curriculum I taught, such as aquatics, outdoor adventures, athletics and all these kinds of things, for which there is no toolset to teach them. When I was teaching and a child was struggling with spelling or reading, we would have certain pathways of intervention. Equally, if they had mathematical problems, we would suspect dyscalculia and intervene, but as a nation we need to start talking about physical literacy. If a child is not able to benchmark certain activities like throwing, the gate of their movement, catching, squatting - basic things - they can come back and cause difficulty later in life, such as joint pain and all sorts of movement issues. There is currently no intervention pathway for those. Anyone who has done a coaching course, be it for GAA or rugby or soccer, will know that one of the fundamental things you will deal with is the fundamental movements of physical literacy. As a country that has a very deep educational policy on physical education and good resourcing of it, it is a point we are a little mute on. I would love to see it embodied into how we fund things. Irish dancing would be a great inclusion in the next round of funding.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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It is always great to have an opportunity to discuss the positive impact of Government investment in sport, particularly in Louth. Nobody can dispute the value of sports capital programmes, the large-scale sports infrastructure fund and the major events programme. They have transformed opportunities and outlooks across the country.

In 2024, nearly €7 million was awarded to clubs and organisations across Louth, improving facilities and opportunities but most of all creating an ambition in our sports people right around the county to achieve and do the best they can. Look at Kate O'Connor, our local trailblazer, and what can be achieved in a sport that is underfunded. However, soon, with sports capital funding, she will have a choice of tracks to train on when she is home in County Louth. She is always welcome to my local club, Glenmuir FC's facilities, which is getting an extra two-lane extension on the track and club development because of sports capital.

I also have to mention the fact Louth has been waiting decades for a county stadium. The Minister of State will know this project very well. This project is not simply a GAA ground; it is a regional infrastructure that will serve schools, clubs and communities right across the north east. It is about a pride of place, our love of sport and providing a place that is fitting not only for our ladies, who are all-Ireland champions, but also our senior men's team, who are Leinster champions. It will be a facility to deliver much more. Louth GAA made a successful application under the large-scale infrastructure fund, yet we will find ourselves in limbo on a reserved list or hopeful list - we do not know what it is. If applicants fail to draw down the funding, will Louth GAA have the ability and opportunity to draw down that funding, which it deserves because it has made a rightful application?

When can the people of Louth expect the support for the funding? It will be the only stadium built from scratch. The Minister of State witnessed this himself when he was there recently. Our clubs have fundraised and Croke Park supported them. We need the Government funding to get past this critical point in development. The support now would mean it would be delivered in full as opposed to in phases. We have a dream in Louth for our home football and none of us will rest until it is realised.

I also want to ask about the commitment in the programme for Government on access to sport for schools. For example, De La Salle College and St. Louis Secondary School have plans for their sports development and facilities but they are blocked out of the system.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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There is no denying the benefits of sport for our mental and physical health. Our boys and girls across Louth, as Deputy McGreehan has said, have benefited from a vast amount of sports capital grants. However, there are two blips in that horizon at present. One is that Louth does not have a county GAA stadium. Deputy McGreehan has rightly pointed out that we are all 100% behind the missing funding that is needed to complete the stadium. It is a place where we can bring communities, young boys and young girls, together. They are missing a small portion after a huge amount of fundraising. I too urge the Minister of State to make up that shortfall for funding so Louth can be a county with its own GAA stadium. It is the only county in Ireland that does not have a stadium.

The second blip, and I am quite sure Deputy Byrne will bring this up if she has not done so before, is that the Drogs need a home. They were the two that were left out, for whatever reason, last year and they must be addressed. We have a Drogheda issue and a Dundalk issue, one soccer and the other GAA, but both bring a huge contribution not just to the children of the town but also to the children of the rural areas. I ask the Minister of State to please address those issues.

While I am on my feet, I have to say we have inspirational sports people in County Louth, such as Eve McCrystal on cycling, Amy Broadhurst in boxing and the fierce Kate O'Connor, who recently was so good to bring home a silver medal. These ladies have struggled when facilities were not there. As my colleague in the Social Democrats pointed out, they have a team behind them who are very often not paid or have to take time off. We were recently approached by a member of Kate O'Connor's team who said they had had to take a leave of absence from work, which was not paid, in order to help Kate in her pursuit of a medal. This also needs to be addressed.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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As we talk about the sporting landscape, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the tragic passing of a well-known Limerick sports fan, Luke Grimes, who passed away in recent days at the tender age of 24. Luke was an infectious personality and a regular attendee at junior soccer matches across Limerick. It was fitting on Sunday that clubs across the county observed a minute's silence in his memory. I extend my sympathies to Derrick, Noreen, his sister Danielle and the rest of his family and friends. Luke's funeral mass takes place tomorrow. May he rest in peace.

The sports capital programme, in particular, has been beneficial to sports clubs up and down the country. I can verify that it has been of great benefit to sporting clubs in Limerick, including my local soccer club Ballynanty Rovers. Under the leadership of Christian Meehan, Ray O'Halloran, Ger Doherty and others, with sports capital assistance from 2024, they recently launched a fantastic new pitch, Bateman Park, which will serve the community for generations to come.

Staying with soccer, I urge the Government to ensure funding for League of Ireland academies is included in next week's budget. Such funding is crucial to protect the game in this country and for the enhancement and evolvement of it. League of Ireland clubs have been waiting on Government funding for their academies for some years.

A recent audit noted that football academies are lagging significantly behind international competitors in terms of full-time staff and player contact hours, requiring significant investment in infrastructure and personnel to meet the required standards. They have outlined what they need, namely, 81 new full-time academy jobs, a women's under-15s programme for all clubs, athletic development testing equipment for all clubs, a centralised playing platform to track all League of Ireland academy players and a quality assurance process for all the clubs.

Sports can unite people. In some towns it is incredibly important, as a tiny minority seeks to divide us at the moment. In my hometown of Limerick, we have had tremendous growth through sports partnership among young girls in our local clubs. Be it GAA, rugby or soccer, I have seen a huge increase in the number of young girls participating in sports. Our premier division women's team of Treaty United have fought well this year and it has been encouraging to see the growth in their spectators. Since 2023, the numbers attending the home leagues have more than doubled. We must keep participation going beyond the teenage years. I urge the Minister of State to ensure enhanced funding for LSSIF, CSFF and sports capital so that sporting clubs can continue to enhance their facilities and attract more young, and indeed not so young, people back into sport and a lifestyle that benefits them all.

I want to mention specifically Madison McGuane from the Lee Estate in Limerick. Madison is just 15 years of age yet she is already standing out. She has been excelling in her debut season at senior level with Treaty United and recently had her superb form recognised by winning the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division player of the month award.

The sports capital grants and other grants have served clubs well, and grassroots funding programmes must be maintained in the upcoming budget. The League of Ireland academies, the large-scale sports infrastructure fund and sports capital grants must be properly funded for the future of grassroots sports. Let us support all these volunteers, who get out and help, do voluntary work, keep all the clubs going and ensure that clubs and societies are funded properly.

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome this debate. The one thing I have to say about sports capital funding and the one thing that is heartwarming about it is that it is the most efficiently spent money in the country. When the grant is devolved to our local clubs and teams, we see them go to the ends of the earth to spend the money as efficiently as possible to yield the very best results for their communities. That always needs to be remembered in the context of public spending and how money is being spent. Our local clubs spend it best because they are volunteer organisations. They go through the tender process, they find the best contract and award it and, ultimately, they get incredible results on the ground.

When we talk about sport and its contribution to our communities, we know it is the heartbeat of rural Ireland. The communities I represent in Galway East that have benefited so greatly from sports capital funding are delivering incredible projects right across our constituency.

One thing that is really important is the growth in women's sports, which has been absolutely phenomenal over the past few years. All our clubs now have huge numbers on juvenile boys' and girls' teams and this is putting a strain on space. This is so much so the case for some clubs that there is a lack of space to accommodate everyone at all times. That is really unfortunate because everyone deserves equal access and equal opportunity in sport, regardless of gender. What is really important in this regard is that, in the next round of sports capital funding, consideration should be given to funding the acquisition of training fields or agricultural land for the purpose of developing pitches specifically for ladies' teams. I have seen this in different parts of east Galway where there has been consternation among clubs because there has not been enough space to allow for both teams. As a result, the female sides of certain clubs have decided to purchase their own playing fields. A side should not have to raise the funds for that, however. It should be funded under the sports capital programme. In an ideal world, if the fields can be purchased adjacent to the existing pitches, that would be brilliant, but everyone deserves equal access and equal opportunity.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Is léir go bhfuil a lán feicthe againn cheana féin agus go bhfuil rudaí maithe ag tarlú timpeall na tíre, go háirithe i gCill Dara. We have seen a lot of positive progress around the country, particularly in Kildare. Some examples of successful sports capital programme projects in Kildare are: Clough GAA, which secured a €150,000 grant to install LED floodlights and improve security; Celbridge GAA club, which secured just over €95,000 for its sustainability and inclusivity plan in 2024; and Clane Rugby Football Club, which secured just shy of €26,000 for club pitch development and sports equipment. These are amazing examples of what has been done in Kildare. However, there are also examples where such grants were not made available. Celbridge Town AFC is one. I will work with the club to ensure that it benefits from a grant in the next stream because it looks after so many people, children and adults, in the community.

We have also seen some amazing large-scale sporting infrastructure projects in Kildare. Some €3 million was allocated in respect of Sallins Park in Naas for the development of new pitches. A sum of €1.4 million was allocated for a high-performance golf centre in Kildare. A sum of €1 million was awarded to Kildare for a cross-community development project for the GAA.

One project that is missing is the swimming pool for the north east of the county, specifically for Maynooth. There was an application involving Maynooth University and Kildare County Council that basically disappeared into the ether. In fact, approval for the project was refused. An appeal was subsequently sent in but those involved did not hear anything back about it. There is a new project to try to get it delivered now. I ask that this project be looked on favourably, because there is no public swimming pool in that part of the country, which comprises Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge, Kilcock and Clane. A pool is desperately needed. We have a solution here ready to go, namely the redevelopment of Maynooth University swimming pool. I look forward to engaging with the Minister of State on that.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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The last two rounds of sports capital grants, delivered by Fianna Fáil Ministers in the Department, resulted in record levels of funding for north Tipperary. I was particularly delighted in the last round to have worked with Nenagh Hockey Club and BT Harps in Templemore, both of which got regional status for grants. BT Harps now have a full-size AstroTurf pitch in Templemore that is fully operational. Nenagh Hockey Club is progressing with the work on its new facilities on the grounds of Nenagh College. Those facilities are absolutely fantastic.

What I wish to touch on today - it is something I have discussed with the Minister of State and raised on the floor of this House before - is the large-scale infrastructure fund, which was announced last November, prior to my election to this House. Tipperary GAA had applied for a multisport complex on the Technological University of the Shannon campus in Thurles in my constituency. This was done in conjunction with Tennis Ireland and Tipperary County Council. The application was unsuccessful - the Minister of State and I have discussed it - as was Tipperary GAA's application for the development of the Kinane Stand in Semple Stadium. We need to see more funding going into the large-scale infrastructure fund, particularly in the context of the success we need to see in Tipperary in terms of delivering infrastructure.

These statements are on the positive impact on the sporting landscape of this funding. Those in the House who represent Tipperary - I see one or two Members from the Rebel County here - we know the positive impact the outcome of the all-Ireland final had in county this year in encouraging young people to take up hurling and Gaelic football, but we need these facilities. We badly need to get Semple Stadium redeveloped and funding put in place, but we also need to see the multisport complex to which I refer. I want to do as much as I can to emphasise Tipperary GAA's need for funding for the multisport complex on the grounds of TUS and for Kinane Stand in Semple Stadium.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We are talking about sports infrastructure. More than many, I, as a coach, and my children have benefited in recent years from different facilities we have been able to develop locally by means of the sports capital grants. As stated by previous speakers, these grants are a very efficient way of spending and receiving money. Who best to spend the money in local areas than people who run clubs efficiently and so well? As I said, in local sports clubs - GAA clubs, soccer clubs, rugby clubs and even athletics clubs - I have seen the huge impact this funding has made.

That said, there are other groups that we need to acknowledge and that need help. For example, basketball has taken off, especially among girls. The cost of basketball facilities is huge. We need to look at how we can help the clubs involved, which might not have easy access and for which renting facilities is core. Obviously, no one likes to rent in the long term. We need to get around that.

We have a significantly growing population all across north Kildare, all the way from Naas to Johnstown and back over to Leixlip through Maynooth and Kilcock. We know there is a huge need for a swimming pool in north-east Kildare, particularly Celbridge. We have put forward a plan for the swimming pool in Maynooth University to be rejuvenated. We will ensure, through the large-scale infrastructure funding, that we will be able to get help towards that with contributions from Kildare County Council.

Ultimately, local authorities need to take a lead role on larger scale local infrastructure projects. I do not see why, with the help of the Government and in light of development levies that are coming in, we cannot ensure that we get the money for facilities to communities that directly need it. This would be really positive, and it is a something I am heavily involved in pursuing. I see this as the mechanism through which we could deliver what I have outlined in the short term.

I have not been found wanting as a councillor for my local clubs over the years and we have delivered super facilities. We now need to take the next step and move outside local clubs to larger communities where multiple towns can user larger facilities. As our towns and villages grow, we need multisport facilities. Where land is at a premium, we need to develop pitches where rugby, soccer and GAA clubs can all use the pitch on different nights. There is a facility like that in Kerdiffstown in County Kildare.

I also want to speak about the major events programme. We have been very successful as a Government. The NFL was here over the weekend. It has had a huge impact globally, especially in the US. I thank the Government for its work. I hope the funding will go back to the Exchequer and the local clubs across all sports.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I am just after running over from Hodges Figgis from the launch of The Irish Unity Dividend by Ben Collins. Everything that should be done from sport right through should be done on the basis that we are one single island, eventually delivering a 32-county unitary state that delivers for its people. Coming from Dundalk, it would be impossible not to mention how proud we are of Kate O'Connor in the heptathlon. Supports must be provided for those like her who can go on to do great things. We have seen great strides in Louth with the athletics track in Dundalk. Everyone is thankful when they finally get the benefits of the LSSIF and sports capital We know the great addition sport is to people's lives. We need to ensure it happens.

It would also be impossible not to mention the North East Runners and the shocking events that happened in Drumgowna and Mark, Louise and Evan O'Connor. Mark was a far better runner than I am. I used to only see his name much above mine. Our thoughts are with their wider family. Whatever supports are needed should be provided.

The whole point is the importance of sports. I have spoken to the Minister of State many times, particularly about the LSSIF and the necessity that Louth GAA be at the top of the table in the next round. We have already seen the stadium which is not very far from my house. It is flying on at the minute. It is not a major thing that is very close to my house but it is a major issue for Louth GAA, which has had huge success. Drogheda United was mentioned by my colleague. If I did not mention it I do not know if I would get out of my seat. This needs to happen. The League of Ireland needs support. While we are happy Dundalk FC seems to be going in the right direction in going back to the premiership, Oriel Park will need major LSSIF funding in the future. Everybody welcomes the huge interest but if we are serious about the League of Ireland and the great opportunities it offers, academies are needed. There are opportunities in the changes post Brexit for younger players. It is about ensuring they get the contact play and that it is run as a professional business. It is about stadiums but also making sure players are looked after. We have many other sports. There is significant work to do. I ask that the LSSIF be opened more regularly to ensure continuity of funding in sports capital.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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West Cork is home to some of Ireland's most extraordinary sporting talent, from the Olympic gold of Paul and Gary O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy in Skibbereen to the blistering speed of Phil Healy from Ballineen. Our athletes continue to inspire the nation. We have seen Nicola Tuthill from Kilbrittain rise as one of Ireland's brightest stars in the hammer throw, breaking records and representing us on the world stage. Evan Collins, a young kickboxer from west Cork who has trained for over a decade with Ian Kingston, has competed internationally since the age of nine, bringing home medals from Turkey, Italy and Hungary. Behind these achievements lies a troubling reality. Evan and others have had to rely on GoFundMe campaigns just to represent Ireland. There is no structured supports for athletes like him despite their dedication and success. These champions are not sporting icons, they are ambassadors for our communities, role models for our youth and proof that rural Ireland can produce world-class talent, but talent alone is not enough. Investment is needed in facilities, coaching and travel support. Funding is needed that matches the ambition and potential of our athletes. While I welcome the funding we have received for different clubs in west Cork, I ask the Minister of State to look at the likes of Evan Collins and ask why he has to set up a GoFundMe page. Can more be done for the likes of him and other athletes who deserve that extra bit of a push which will get them across the line? I would appreciate if the Minister of State looked into that.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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I am delighted to welcome the Ryder Cup to Ireland and that it will be in Limerick, the real capital of Ireland, as I call it. We now have a world-class golf tournament in Ireland. I have to thank the McManus family for what they have done not only for Limerick but the rest of the country and for what they have invested in this country and in Adare, Country Limerick. I am delighted for the people of Adare that it will host the Ryder Cup. I am also thankful for what the McManus family has done for sports in Ireland. It has given every county in Ireland €1 million and to UK clubs affiliated with Ireland because they love Ireland, Limerick and sport.

The World Rally Championship wanted to come here and we wanted to bid for 2025, 2026 and 2027. From Malin to Mizen Head would have had funding. The Government turned its back on the World Rally Championship. We could have had two world events in Ireland that would have benefited the whole country, like the Ryder Cup. People from Dublin rang me this evening to thank us for having the Ryder Cup. Their bed and breakfast accommodation is booked out. People are coming for two weeks and travelling down to Limerick for one or two days of the Ryder Cup. I thank the people of Limerick for what they have done but I am disappointed with the Government that it forgot to invest in the World Rally Championship.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Sports capital grants have done great things in small communities right around the country. I remember playing football and togging out in places they would not tog out in nowadays. It is incredible what it has done. With the population increasing and different sports coming into play, more money should be put in to attract young people to get more of them involved in sport. The budgets must be available to help small clubs. The Government should put aside a budget for a loan scheme. Some clubs struggle to match the money. They would pay the loan back for the piece they have to pay themselves along with the sports capital grant. That should be looked at to help those small clubs. In Munster, there is Thurles, Limerick and Cork stadiums where concerts and different things go on as well as sports. In Leinster, there is the same. In Connacht, from Donegal down, we need a centre of excellence and, on top of that, a place for sports and to bring the west and north west together to host events. The airport in Galway would be a perfect site. It is near the motorway. That would help to facilitate it and give equal participation to all parts of the country.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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It is good to be able to speak on the sports capital today. It has been a tremendous scheme for many rural communities across Mayo and the country. I recently attended the opening of my own club, Aghamore, which received sports capital to develop a gym and dressing rooms, etc. Parke Keelogues Crimlin recently opened a floodlit pitch and a walkway around its facilities. It will be hugely valuable for that club, and Westport Athletics Club.

One of the key things that struck me over recent months and years is the value for money and efficiency achieved by the sports capital funding. The reason for that is it is given to local communities, many of them engaged in fundraising, that want the best for their facilities. When we see such a level of waste from the Government as set out in the most recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the lack of regulation and the void of accountability in respect of IPAS centres, we can compare it with the money spent in local communities and see the value of that. It is really important that we continue to invest in sport and in our young people. It is an investment in the future and in the next generation. When we consider the many issues in terms of drug and alcohol misuse and screen use, we see the value of investment in sport and the fun, joy and satisfaction it brings to people. We also see the traits it imparts to participants. The competitive nature of sports and the teamwork aspect are fundamentally important.

It is really important that we invest in swimming facilities. There are large parts of County Mayo that have no such facilities. Ballinrobe in south Mayo, for example, had a pop-up swimming pool this summer. I look forward to working with the Minister of State to see whether we can develop a swimming pool in that area in the years ahead.

Athletics is becoming a really fast-growing sport in Ireland. It is important that it be prioritised.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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One cannot say much in two minutes but the point I will make is that funding is welcome but we need more of it. Capital projects have a huge return, especially, as others have noted, in terms of working with sports clubs. I support what my colleague Deputy Fitzmaurice said about a loan scheme to top up funding.

We also need to look to more creative thinking. In my constituency, Clonburris strategic development zone, SDZ, will be home to 11,000 houses and 20,000 people but it does not have a fraction of the pitch capacity it needs. There is a case for building up in the inner city and in rapidly growing suburban areas like Clonburris. Five-a-side pitches can be put on rooftops. The City Edge initiative by Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council is seeing development on old industrial land. Why not put five-a-side pitches on top and leave room down on the ground for GAA, rugby and cricket pitches? With climate change, we will need more all-weather pitches, whether grass or synthetic.

We need to look more at multi-use funding. Years ago, I called for schools to function also as community hubs, subject to child protection, with different rooms suitable for different groups at different hours of the day and with solar panels installed. Every new school should have a full-size pitch on which soccer can be played. It could be used by the school during the day and could operate as a community hub in the evening. That has never been done. We are wasting money when we could be creative if we had some more cross-departmental co-operation.

Funding must be increased. We are still spending too much on horses and greyhounds, as I have mentioned many times. We also need to think smarter about how we spend our money. We must think laterally and outside the box.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I most sincerely thank the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and his Department for the excellent work they are doing in distributing this very important money. The positive effects of the funding on the sporting landscape throughout the country are extremely important. The same applies to the large-scale sport infrastructure fund and the major events programme. The sports capital grants are delivered to sporting clubs of all types in all parts of the country, including rural Ireland. Those clubs are the heartbeat of our countryside. I have seen at first hand the positive effects this funding has had on my county of Kerry.

With regard to the LSSIF funding, I will highlight one project. The Department has put more than €2 million into the Derreen project in Killarney, which the Minister of State has visited. It is a state-of-the-art project and it is disability inclusive. A total of 15 clubs will benefit from that funding, from basketball to judo to everything else in the middle.

One must spend money to make money. With the major events funding, we see the impact of the American National Football League, NFL, game last weekend. It involved €10 million of State expenditure but the game was watched by more than 7.9 million people and tens of thousands came here to attend it.

The positive spin-off from that type of investment when it comes to sport means the funding is like fertiliser. If we do not spread it, there will be no growth. Grass cannot be grown without fertiliser and we cannot grow our rural communities and keep people living there unless we invest in them. I thank the Minister of State so much for the work he is doing. Consider what the hosting of the Ryder Cup in 2027 will mean to us. Ireland can host massive events.

I must contradict in a friendly way my colleague across the floor who said we should not spend money on horses and dogs. I say to him we must not neglect the horses and dogs. People in Kerry want to keep the dogs and horses running and we want to keep the young people in sport. We definitely must not forget dogs and horses because they are very important. They are part of the heartbeat of Ireland as well, particularly rural Ireland. I thank the Minister of State again for the work he is doing.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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As a colleague just noted, one can say very little in two minutes. I will start by saying something very easy, which is to thank the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, for the investment my constituency has seen, in hurling, football, soccer, tennis and so many different areas, through the sports capital grant. It has made a real difference to clubs in my area. He will be pleased to hear we are already preparing for the next round of funding. I have met with several groups about it. The Minister of State might come to the constituency to visit some of the projects that have been funded and to meet with the groups that will be putting in applications.

I was particularly pleased with the regional funding that was given to a local school to make its facilities available to a regional sports body, Olympic Handball Ireland. There will be a fantastic new facility there that will benefit the entire region. I would like to see something similar being done in the area to provide a regional basketball facility.

There are two issues I want to raise. Mention was made previously of funding for League of Ireland academies. They are really important and I will be emphasising whatever can be done in that regard, particularly in this budget and as we go forward.

The second point concerns the Gaelic Players Association Indecon report. The value Gaelic players provide to the economy is very clear. People who box or play hockey can qualify for the elite athletes programme and avail of a stipend or podium funding of up to €30,000 or €40,000. Gaelic players are amateurs and they accept that. However, they are looking for their funding to go from €1,500 to €2,500 per person to cover the basic costs. Whatever influence the Minister of State has over our colleague, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, I ask him to exert it. The Gaelic Players Association does fantastic work right across the country and Gaelic players contribute in the same way as do many other sportspeople. We should be investing in them. I appreciate the Minister of State's support.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for facilitating this debate. In this House, there often are very different opinions on matters discussed. The one thing we can all agree on is the positive benefits of sport, which are vast. I always make the point that sport is a great character-building hobby for young people and individuals. It helps them tremendously through their self-development and teaches them many good-quality life skills in terms of the importance of hard work, discipline, commitment and giving something your all. It also teaches them that we do not always win in life and must try again, redouble our efforts and do everything we can to succeed. Sport teaches us of all those qualities.

I always make the point that every euro the Government spends on sport is a euro very well spent. In many cases, it can divert young people away from antisocial behaviour and give them a positive outlet for their energies. It really is so positive. The €0.25 billion-plus allocated last year through the various sports grants was extremely positive news for many local clubs and organisations. The large-scale sport infrastructure fund diverted funds through the national governing bodies and the sports partnerships. All of this funding percolated its way down into communities and they are seeing the extremely positive benefits of it.

We must ensure we continue to have funding set aside to enable us to open up these grants as often as possible. Every Member of this House will be inundated with requests from various clubs and organisations seeking sports funding in the next round.

The clubs are extremely ambitious. They want to continue to develop and enhance their facilities and to make them better. That is something the Government has been very supportive of and it is important that we keep the support going.

If I may, I want to mention one local project. I warn the Minister of State that there will be an application coming in at some point through Cork County Council for a sports complex in Carrigaline, which is my area. It is an extremely important project. Carrigaline is a town with more than 20,000 people and a hinterland of more than 35,000 but does not have a good sports complex. I know the county council and the local community are very determined to try to develop a sports complex. I hope we will be able to make an application for it in the near future. I will discuss it in more detail with the Minister of State in future course.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Sport is essential to Irish life. It would be hard to find a household that was not tuned in to watch Tipperary lash Cork in the all-Ireland or to see Shane Lowry make that final hole last weekend. That spirit and such huge excitement and interest brings a real sense of belonging and identity to communities. It is so important. The previous Government recognised that with its funding paths in terms of previous rounds.

The Minister of State kindly visited Raheny Shamrocks this year. It was a very positive visit. It is a typical example of a club that needs access to funding to develop an important facility. We hope it will be a regional facility in that location. It is very important that we can continue to provide funding channels. This is one of those channels, which is important.

Manor House is a school in my area. This is a totally different angle. We have many schools working away, but they do not have access to funding channels to renew facilities. Manor House has an AstroTurf pitch, which has been there for a long time but it is not really usable now and they do not have access to a source of funding to upgrade it. Schools should be considered to be part of this system in due course.

In terms of municipal facilities, we have clubs like Mid Sutton AC and Marino AC, which are both junior clubs looking for access to athletics facilities. The local authorities have a hugely positive role to play in providing facilities and co-ordinating construction, with the support of the Government. The projects of local authorities should be prioritised in partnership with the Department. The Government should give them very strong support.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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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.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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We all know how important participation in sport is for young and old, and how it brings communities together. Adequate funding should be in place for sports clubs and organisations in all our towns and villages and clubs constantly have to fundraise, which puts parents and fundraisers under financial pressure to support them.

The funding provided through the sports capital funds has had a very positive impact through the years on the areas that benefitted from it in the provision of sports facilities that otherwise clubs in local areas would have needed to fund and they might never have achieved building them at all.

Where a club or organisation has been successful in applications for capital funding in recent times, additional funding should be made available in the event of costs rising. It is the case that building costs are rising.

Funding for large-scale sporting infrastructure is an investment in our future sportsmen and women. These larger projects will ensure increased participation and encourage the younger generations to get involved. It is important that the required facilities for all kinds of sport, such as large stadiums like the Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, swimming pools and training facilities be funded in all these areas throughout the country to ensure those from rural areas have as much of a chance to pursue their sporting dreams as those coming from Dublin. Sport is such an important aspect for young people, people with disabilities and people with mental health issues, as it keeps people involved with their teammates and keeps them active in their communities. They make friends and it keeps them going. As much as possible should be done to ensure that teenagers and young adults stay involved, as many young girls in particular tend to drop out during their teenage years.

I especially want to thank the Minister of State. He will remember me from the last Dáil for being here on this side giving out about him a lot of days, about what was not being done and whatever, but it was nothing personal. I thank him very much for coming to Kerry in the summer months during the holidays and visiting the Kerry GAA Centre of Excellence in Currans and visiting Derreen. We are now seeking funding for Fitzgerald Stadium. We are looking forward in anticipation, hoping that the Minister of State will look after it. It is a massive stadium, but it is gone out of date, and it needs a lot of attention and to be redeveloped. I want to thank the Minister of State for the money that the Government has been given to Kerry, including to Glenflesk in recent times as well as Tuosist, where they are trying to move a mountain to build a football field in the heart of the Beara Peninsula. The Currans centre of excellence is of massive benefit to the people and players of Kerry. We think of the massive team that performed in Croke Park this summer. We must keep them going. The Fitzgerald Stadium is central to them, and it is where the Munster Final has always been played when in Kerry, but it needs to be revamped. Patrick O'Sullivan and his team - Pat the Tatler, we call him - have a massive plan in place to renovate and build this place like new. I am asking the Minister of State to look favourably upon it.

We welcome all the events that are coming to Adare in two years' time. There is also going to be a big event played in Doonbeg next year. Other members of the Trump family are looking forward to funding, and seeking funding, to ensure the smooth operation of that event. There is still a water main to be connected going down there. It is greatly in need of being replaced. I am asking the Government to ensure Irish Water has that done in a timely fashion. It is very important. We need to keep bringing visitors and events to this country and our counties to ensure the vitality and economic future of our country is safe.

I am asking that we look favourably on the rural clubs and, especially, rowing clubs that have made applications for funding in the next round. I appeal again to the Government to look very favourably on those.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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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.