Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 125: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has carried out a national audit of sports facilities nationwide; if so, when this audit will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As I have previously informed the House, the nationwide audit of sports facilities has commenced and is being carried out in stages to help speed up the availability of information. Phase One, which focuses on national and regional sports facilities, has now been completed within my Department. A database of sports facilities of national and regional significance has been compiled including details of facilities at third level educational institutions and swimming pools. Phase Two of the audit, which will commence shortly, is a more complex undertaking to establish a record of existing sports facilities at local level and identifying the need for future provision.

The audit is part of a wider exercise to put in place a more strategic approach to the provision of sports facilities in Ireland. Work on the National Sports Facility Strategy is currently underway with the assistance of a firm of consultants involving both national and international experts in the area of sports facilities. The aim of the strategy is to provide high-level policy direction for future investment/grant assistance at national, regional and local level. It is intended to identify the facilities requirement for sport so that participation at reasonable cost is feasible for those who wish to engage in sport at either amateur or elite level.

A key objective in relation to the preparation of the National Sports Facility Strategy is to ensure consistency — on a nationwide basis — in relation to the completion of the audit facility so that inter-regional planning can be undertaken. With this in mind, the preparation of a guidance pack and audit toolkit for use by Local Authorities and /or Local Sports Partnerships to assist them in carrying out local audit has been prioritised as part of the Sports Facility Strategy. This element of the strategy will greatly help in the completion of the audit and the compilation of a comprehensive database on the range and nature of sporting facilities at national, regional and local level.