Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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We welcome the Minister, Deputy Ross. He is welcome back from the riviera and the sunshine of the south west. I call Senator Reilly.

James Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for taking this matter himself.

I begin by quoting from a submission from Lusk Community 2020 Sports Club Committee to the Fingal County Council open space strategy:

The Lusk Community 2020 Sports Plan is developed on the basis of ... Community participation in line with Government strategies ... Recreational Hub development in line with the 'Keeping It Green' strategy ... Understanding the social, recreational/sports and economic benefits that can accrue to a community based on high quality open space development within a community ... The need to develop linkages between and across the 'green infrastructure' in order to deliver maximum community benefits ... [and] The need to have strong liaison between communities and local authorities in order to design and develop open space that meet current and future community needs.

The plan includes a floodlit area containing a 100 m by 400 m all-weather playing pitch, a 1,200 m cycling and running track, and a 400 m running track with track and field facilities for shot-put, discus, long jump, hammer and others. Seamus Flynn has been behind Lusk athletic club for many years, and he is determined to train an Olympic medal winner from the town of Lusk. We have five tennis courts, two juvenile training pitches, a senior grass pitch of 140 m by 90 m, an 80 m by 50 m all-weather training area, and a cricket crease where more cricketers can train to represent Ireland. As the Minister knows, rural Fingal has a very strong cricket tradition. A few years ago, when I was in India on St. Patrick's Day to represent the Government, I was informed by the Indian people there that the only reason they had heard of Ireland was because of cricket and our having beaten Pakistan, so the power of this particular sport to promote our country abroad should not be underestimated.

These planned facilities are located beside Lusk soccer club with 19 teams and 325 playing members and rising, Round Towers GAA club with 600 members and growing, Rush and Lusk Educate Together national school, with 420 pupils, Lusk community college, now at 350 pupils but with a new extension planned for later in the year which will bring it to 1,000 pupils, and Lusk national school with 850 pupils and new classrooms under construction.Three Government cranes dominate the skyline of Lusk at the moment and we expect a fourth later in the year.

The population of this area was around 500 to 700 when I started in practice many years ago. It was 7,000 in 2011 and has now grown to 10,000. It is expected to grow to 12,500 in the coming years. As the Minister knows, it has excellent bus and rail links and is in proximity to Dublin, Dublin Airport and Swords. It is an attractive place to live and to start a home and young family. Therefore, the demand for these facilities will continue to grow.

In short I have two requests of the Minister. First, I ask him to consider communicating with Fingal County Council to encourage it to continue to press for the release of these promised open-space lands from the developer, as per the planning permissions granted and the master plan for the area. I commend and acknowledge the determination and commitment of all the volunteers from all the Lusk clubs who have campaigned and engaged in planning this excellent sports facility. The Lusk sports hub committee has lobbied Fingal county councillors, including Councillor Tom O'Leary, to get this key strategic open-space land made available to the community as soon as possible. In fairness, I understand the process is nearing completion but a ministerial letter might just give it the push towards completion it needs.

Second, taking into account the well thought out, future-proof plan for sports facilities for Lusk the sports hub group has produced in conjunction with the community and Fingal County Council, I ask the Minister to favourably consider assisting the Lusk community sports hub group and Fingal County Council in funding this excellent plan, which seems to be a very fine example of best practice in community sports development and planning.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. I will certainly try to address those two specific questions in a few minutes, probably in the second part of my reply, after he has responded to what I have to say.

In respect of securing lands required for the sports facilities set out in the Lusk 2020 sports plan, as the Senator knows and has acknowledged, this is obviously primarily a matter for Fingal County Council. I understand, however, that the council is at an advanced stage of taking the land bank referred to into charge and I look forward to being kept informed of progress made.

On the Government's role in the provision of sports facilities, the sports capital programme, as administered by my Department, is the Government's primary vehicle to support the development of sports facilities and the purchase of sports equipment. It aims to foster an integrated approach to developing sports and physical recreation facilities throughout the country. The programme has transformed the sporting landscape of Ireland with improvements in the quality and quantity of sports facilities in virtually every village, town and city.

We are committed to ensuring this progress continues and on 21 December 2016 it was announced that €30 million was being made available under the 2017 sports capital programme. The application process was open from 23 January to 24 February. By the closing date, a record 2,320 applications had been received. All applications are currently being assessed with allocations expected later this year. I understand a number of applications have been received from the Lusk area. More generally, the sports capital programme has already invested heavily in facilities in Dublin with €34 million provided for sports infrastructure and equipment since 2011. Fingal County Council itself has benefitted from almost €1.3 million in grants in the same period. This is separate to the substantial funding many sports clubs in Fingal have drawn down from their own developments. Furthermore, a number of clubs associated with the Lusk 2020 sports plan have benefitted from funding under recent rounds of the programme.

The programme for Government contains the aim of allocating sports capital grants annually in future. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about how best to implement this commitment. In this regard, once the necessary land for the Lusk proposal is in council ownership, it can apply for sports capital programme funding for any suitable project under future rounds of the programme.

Regarding the Government's policy for funding of sports facilities in the future, last November the Minister of State, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, and I launched a major consultation process for the development of a new national sports policy framework.The examination of responses received is being finalised and we expect to present the framework to Government before the summer recess. Several key challenges will be addressed in the framework, with the overriding principle being the investigation of how to increase the number of people participating in sport and physical activity. All people, regardless of their age, gender or ability, should be able to participate in sport. The new framework will consider how best to ensure access to facilities nationally, regionally and locally. The new framework will also consider how programmes and initiatives can be developed in tandem with newly-constructed facilities to connect with traditionally non-participant groups. The framework also considers how local authorities could play an enhanced role in getting people involved in sport. It is pleasing, therefore, that the overall objectives of the Lusk 2020 plan are in accordance with these principles.

In terms of the funding of sports facilities, I mentioned the aim of running the sports capital grant programme annually. Furthermore, as part of my Department's submission to the mid-term review of the capital plan, additional funding has been sought for large-scale sports infrastructure. If the additional funding is received, it will allow consideration of the funding of large facilities requiring more than the maximum amount available under the sports capital programme. It would be open to all local authorities, including Fingal County Council, to submit applications under the terms that will apply. I reiterate the Government's commitment to improving the stock of sports facilities throughout the country. The Lusk 2020 plan is welcome, particularly in terms of setting out how a local community and relevant local authority can work together to get more people to participate in sport. As the council advances the project, my Department will consider any applications for capital funding from the council.

James Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. I welcome his acknowledgement that the Lusk 2020 plan aims to foster an integrated approach to developing sports and physical recreation facilities and that this is the Government's aim. I welcome the Government's commitment to sport and the grants that have been allocated in recent years. I welcome that the Minister said that it is pleasing that the overall objective of the Lusk 20020 plan is in accordance with the Government's overriding principles and that the plan is welcome, in particular in terms of setting out how the local community and relevant local authority can work together to get more people to participate in sport. I also welcome that the Department will consider the application for capital funding.

We have an opportunity to buck the former trend for houses to be built in an area, followed by roads and, latterly, facilities. We have an opportunity. We know that Lusk will grow and that there is a housing issue. We know that a place such as Lusk, which is in central Fingal, will be the site of further development. Facilities should be built in anticipation of housing development. The facilities are needed now but will be needed even more in the future.

As Members know, this is the month of mental health awareness. As the Romans used to say, "mens sana in corpore sano", which means "a healthy mind in a healthy body". Childhood habits can stay with a person for life. Outdoor exercise, healthy competition, learning about teamwork and the value of volunteerism are all embodied in this worthwhile project. I call on the Minister to facilitate it. He could play a pivotal role were he to accede to my two requests. He has indicated that the second of my requests will be considered by the Department. In terms of my first, if the Minister were to write a letter encouraging Fingal County Coucil to acquire these lands from the developer - who has agreed as part of planning permission to hand them over - it would give great heart to the many people in Lusk who have worked very hard to make this plan a reality.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The case being made by the Senator is very powerful and compelling. He knows that it will be considered on its merits, which are great. I will not make any specific promises. It would be inappropriate for me to do so because, as the Senator knows, there is huge competition for this type of funding. The Lusk 2020 plan for a sports hub and development is in accordance with the principles of the Government's plan and will be considered favourably.