Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)

I join others in sending my deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of the late former TD, Donal Carey. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

We all know community facilities are the heart of every town and village. As our population continues to grow, with 325 new homes completed in County Louth alone in the third quarter, the demand for recreational spaces is increasing. However, the cost of building and maintaining these facilities has become almost impossibly expensive. Local clubs and organisations are doing everything they can to meet the State halfway by fundraising for years and securing grants through hard work and persistence. Wolfe Tones GAA club in Drogheda, for example, has raised more than €75,000 itself and secured sports capital grant approvals of €133,000. Yet, the club has been left really disheartened to learn that upgrading an existing water connection for a new clubhouse would cost €140,000, a sum that would wipe out its entire grant and eat into its fundraising. That cost alone would jeopardise its €600,000 clubhouse project, leaving it unable to proceed to the next phase or even reapply for another sports capital grant as the current one would be consumed by a single utility bill.

The club currently has over €200,000 in cash ready to go. A waiver or reduction of the €140,000 connection fee could be the difference between the project stalling indefinitely or going ahead to provide a much-needed community facility for a rapidly expanding area that straddles both Louth and east Meath. I ask that the Minister, Deputy Browne, be invited to the House to debate this matter and ensure one arm of the State is not, in effect, sabotaging the objectives of another. Community organisations all across the country, like Wolfe Tones GAA club, should be supported, not penalised, for their initiative and commitment to improving local life.