Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I compliment him on his efforts to secure the additional funding necessary to meet the needs and expectations of growing communities. Funding is key because it is the only way we will get the infrastructure in place. The day is gone when we could expect or demand volunteers to be out, cap in hand, effectively begging their local communities. That should not be the way we, as a modern society, plan or progress our sporting infrastructure. I know the Minister of State is committed to that. When it comes to women's participation, I glaze over when I hear camogie teams thanking local GAA clubs for the use of their facilities. That is a retrograde step. I know the Minister of State has views on this matter, and I hope it can be progressed. We need a one club approach. We have to push hard, and it will not be easy. People have been in silos for long periods. We must respect and recognise the history and give due recognition to it, but we must move forward. I hear on far too many occasions about people moved aside and junior or senior camogie teams being pushed aside because the under-12 or under-13 boys need the facility. That is not appropriate.

On minority sports, we will have to co-ordinate it a bit better. Senator Wall identified a project in Athy. There was a good one in Ennis as well where the town council at the time bought land and developed facilities. At the time, it thought it would be able to bring some of the soccer and GAA clubs in to use communal facilities. That will not work. In County Clare, basketball, hockey and cricket are minority sports. They will never be able to purchase their own land. The council should have a devolved responsibility, and we should develop a paper on the matter and fund it adequately and appropriately. I met a basketball group in County Clare recently. There is a strong history of basketball in County Clare. The cost of the use of the hall has gone from €20 to €60 because those who have halls, which were funded by the State, have running costs. Even though energy costs have reduced, once it goes to €60, it is not coming back down. There is a wonderful hockey club in Ennis. It will never be in a position strong enough to get its own facility. If it was, it might get sports capital funding but it does not provide the initial seed capital required. It is the same for the likes of cricket. The cricket club in Shannon is working well with Clare County Council because there happens to be a bank of land there. It is moving in the right direction and they will be making a sports capital application. Funding is important. The bigger clubs across soccer, GAA and rugby have bases and platforms and are building well. We must continue to fund them in their development but not exclusively.