Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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154. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the source of the €65 million additional spending for sporting organisations as announced recently by her Department; if this additional funding represents a transfer of funding from other subheads within her Department which are underspent in 2021; if so, the sections of her Department that have been underspending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49715/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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On 5^thOctober, Minister Martin and I announced additional current funding of up to €65 million to support the sport sector this year. Allied to the additional current expenditure of €26.3 million already provided to Sport Ireland, a total of €91.3 million will have been allocated in additional current funding to support the sport sector in 2021.

This package is intended to support National Governing Bodies of Sport and sports clubs arising from the significant impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the sports sector, by providing specific funding support for the following sectors;

Field Sport funding to support the main field sports, i.e. the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU;

- A Resilience Fund to support the other National Governing Bodies of Sport;

- A Sports Club Resilience Fund to support clubs from all sports;

- A Swimming Pools/Facilities Fund;

- A Resumption of Sport & Physical Activity Fund.

The funding will be invested through new grant schemes developed by Sport Ireland.

I and my officials have had extensive engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the funding of this package. It has been agreed that the funding arrangements for this sectoral support package will be met. Any savings identified within my Department’s Vote could contribute towards this but it is too early to say with any degree of certainty in which specific subheads savings might arise. Details of profiled expenditure by my Department and all Government departments are published by the Department of Finance on a monthly basis and are available online at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/295fe-fiscal-monitor-september-2021/