Written answers

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Sports Funding

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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317. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when she expects to have the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund reviewed; if she plans to issue a call for new applications under the scheme; if not, if she will be providing additional funding to previously successful recipients who may be short of funding to complete projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9628/22]

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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320. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund; if the fund is open to new applications; the number of successful applications; the amount disbursed; if she will provide a list of the successful projects; and the number of applications that are currently being assessed in tabular form. [9792/22]

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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327. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the large-scale sport infrastructure fund scheme; if it is open to new applications; the number of successful applications; the amount disbursed; if she will provide a list of those successful projects in tabular form; and the number of applications that are currently being assessed. [10103/22]

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 320 and 327 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 or to provide successful applicants with the full amount that they had sought. Details of all applications made and grants awarded are published in tabular form on the Government's website and can be accessed at www.gov.ie/en/service/4113b3-large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/.

Two grantees have commenced the implementation of their projects and to date a total of €417,015 has been paid to those applicants. The remaining projects are at various stages of assessment with many at a stage where funding agreements are being finalised.

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, adjusting the level  of existing grants and the timing of any new call for proposals will be considered.

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