Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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314. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the next round of funding applications for the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund; the closing date for the next round of applications; and if third parties can make amendments to applications. [4799/22]

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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317. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of a fund (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5133/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 317 together.

The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was launched in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, including swimming pools, with at least €100m being made available over the period to 2027.

The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and, thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals. The total funding applied for under the scheme significantly exceeded the amount available to allocate and it was not possible to allocate grants to many worthy projects.

While the priority in the short term is to advance all of the successful projects, as it is now two years since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was considered timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants. My Department has now met with all successful grantees and work is at an advanced stage in drafting the Review. I expect this work to be finalised shortly.

Once that Review is complete the scope for awarding any additional grants and the timing of any new call for proposals will be considered.  

The question of making amendments to applications can only be considered with the agreement, in the first instance, of the original applicants who can then seek the Department's approval to the proposed change.