Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fáiltím roimh an deis an t-eolas is déanaí a thabhairt don Seanad faoinár bpleananna forbartha um chaipiteal agus beartas spóirt. Táim ag súil le tuairimí na Seanadóirí a chloisteáil. Ba mhór an onóir dom gur ceapadh mé i m'Aire Stáit le freagracht as an spórt agus as an gcorpoideachas. Ó ceapadh mé, tá tiomantas, paisean agus fís na n-eagraíochtaí spóirt ar fud na tíre tar éis dul go mór i bhfeidhm orm agus na heagraíochtaí sin ag iarraidh a n-áiseanna spóirt a fhorbairt. Maidir leis seo, tá dhá scéim ghníomhacha tacaíochta deontais ag mo Roinn chun áiseanna spóirt a fhorbairt, is iad sin an clár um chaipiteal agus trealaimh spóirt agus an ciste infreastruchtúr spóirt ar mhórscála.

In our national sports policy the Government set out the aim to double the level of Exchequer funding for sport by 2027. In the first half of the ten-year lifespan of the national sports policy, clear progress has been made in terms of sport funding and we are well on track to achieving our 2027 target. In the budget last month I announced an overall budget allocation of €183.3 million for sport in 2024. To compare, when the national sports policy was published in 2018, the budget was €111 million. In regard to Sport Ireland, the 2024 allocation delivers an increase of more than €7 million in its budget, which brings it to €106.7 million. This allocation represents an increase of 56% since 2020. This level of funding will allow Sport Ireland to increase its funding support in a number of very important areas next year, including core funding for national governing bodies of sport and Women in Sport funding.

As regards Women in Sport funding an increase of €2 million for the Women in Sport programme is been provided for 2024. This represents a doubling of funding for Women in Sport programmes. In addition to the increase in Women in Sport funding, the Government has also increased the core funding available for sporting organisations. Under budget 2024, I announced €2 million in additional core funding, a 7.6% increase, to support our sporting organisations in carrying out their valuable work as they deal with increasing pressures. The Government fully appreciates the impact energy costs have had on households and businesses but also their impacts on sports clubs and facilities. To date, €23.5 million has been allocated under the sports energy support scheme, supporting more than 1,900 clubs, community-led sports facilities, national facilities and major stadiums. The year 2024 will be an Olympic and Paralympic year, and in line with the aims of the high performance strategy 2021 to 2032, and the national sports policy, the Government is providing an additional €1 million for high performance sport. The increased funding will support Team Ireland as it prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It will also help with the continued development of coaching and pathways support as envisaged under our national high performance strategy.

Additional funding is also being provided to Sport Ireland to progress the national sports policy and to support programmes which help those with a disability and the most disadvantaged in our society to actively participate in sport. As Senators will be aware, the sports capital and equipment programme is the main channel of Government support for developing sports facilities and purchasing sports equipment for sports clubs and organisations.Since 1998, over 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. In terms of outcomes, for the 2020 round of the programme alone, almost 2,900 different projects received a grant offer, with over €166.6 million allocated.

While the main field sports such as GAA, soccer and rugby again did very well, I think that any fair analysis will acknowledge the diversity and spread of grants awarded. This shows the diversity of sports in the country. Over 50 different sports benefited under the 2020 round of the programme including boxing, taekwondo, rowing and wheelchair sport, to name just a few. Every pitch drained, every sports hall refurbished, and every piece of equipment bought using these grants allows more people to participate in sport which is ultimately what we are trying to achieve: to have, in effect, a participation nation.

I will briefly update the House about the latest round of the sports capital and equipment programme. The 2023 round was open for applications from 17 July until 8 September. It is clear that the programme has again generated a large number of applications. It is also evident that the total number of applications received under this round will exceed the previous record number of applications: the 3,106 applications which were submitted under the 2020 round. I intend to publish the finalised scoring system and assessment manual for the 2023 round shortly and simultaneously I will also publish the full list of all applications received under this round. Once these documents are published, the detailed assessment work will start. It is planned to assess the "equipment-only" applications first, with a view to announcing these grants in the coming months. Work will then commence on the assessment of the capital applications, with the allocations likely to be announced later next year.

I will now turn to the Department’s other capital funding scheme for sports projects, the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. Under the national sports policy, published in 2018, the establishment of the LSSIF was provided for. The aim of the fund is to provide an open and transparent system, for applying for sports grant assistance, where the amount sought is greater than that available under the sports capital and equipment programme. To date, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals.

As we can all appreciate, the pandemic gave rise to significant financial challenges for all LSSIF grantees, with many of them having to reprioritise their own expenditure plans. In more recent times, the high level of construction inflation has also presented considerable challenges. In view of these issues, it was considered timely to review progress on all of the approved LSSIF projects, and meetings with all of the grantees have taken place. Based on these discussions, it is encouraging that a majority of the 33 projects should be in a position to draw down funding in the next 12 months. Following positive engagement with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe and his Department, and in recognition of the challenges faced by some grantees, officials in my Department wrote to all LSSIF grantees, inviting them to apply for additional support by 4 August 2023. All of this information has now been received. I intend to be in a position to announce further LSSIF allocations to grantees in the coming weeks with a view to ensuring all existing LSSIF projects can be completed. I am engaging with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe on a possible new round. I want to be in a position to announce that but I must engage with the Department of public expenditure.

Mar a dúradh cheana, tugann mo ról mar Aire Stáit an deis dom a fheiceáil go gcuirtear an-spéis san infheistíocht leanúnach in áiseanna spóirt. Tuigim freisin go raibh na blianta beaga anuas an-dúshlánach ó thaobh an spóirt de. Uaireanta, nuair a bhíonn rud éigin imithe, is ansin go bhfuilimid fíor-bhuíoch as. Creidim go láidir gur léirigh Covid-19 cé chomh tábhachtach agus atá spórt dúinn go léir. Dá réir sin, táim ag tnúth le cuidiú le go leor tionscadail thábhachtacha spóirt dul chun cinn a dhéanamh sna míonna amach romhainn trí leithdháiltí nua faoin scéim um chaipiteal agus trealamh spóirt agus faoin gciste infreastruchtúr spóirt ar mhórscála. Is féidir liom a chinntiú don Seanad go leanfaidh mé ag troid go dian ar son na n-acmhainní riachtanacha chun a chinntiú gur féidir linn níos mó áiseanna spóirt ar gach scála a fhorbairt sna blianta amach romhainn agus táim ag tnúth le bhur dtuairimí a chloisteáil inniu.