Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last November, I mentioned that I had met representatives of Johnstown Football Club. I spoke about its desire to provide a football club in the Johnstown area of Navan. I mentioned that there were around 4,000 homes in the area with 12,000 people living in them, without even a playground, never mind sports facilities. There is nothing really there in Johnstown. It is larger than many towns across Ireland but does not have anything close to the community facilities that other towns have.

I am delighted to be able to say that an application has been lodged by Albert Developments Limited for an 83-home development with a sports pitch and woodland walk in the Johnstown-Athlumney area. It was great to read it in the newspaper. This will be a game-changer for the area. I am not the only political person to speak up about this. Far from it. I know every other political representative in the Navan area has expressed concern about having facilities, including sports facilities, in Johnstown, and particularly my county council colleagues, Councillor John Duffy and Councillor Yemi Adenuga.

This is very positive news, but we need to ensure that Johnstown Football Club is at the core of this development, that it will be a huge part of the development of these community facilities to get the space it so badly needs. I ask the Deputy Leader to get our Minister for sport, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, to liaise with Meath County Council and ensure that Johnstown is part of this huge plan. I would like to thank Meath County Council for the work in this area, but it simply cannot come fast enough. With sports capital grant applications about to be open soon, it would be incredible for Johnstown Football Club to be able to make an application, so time is of the essence in this.