Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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57. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if additional supports will be made available to support sporting organisations recovering from the impact of Covid-19. [47579/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Sport Ireland engages with sporting organisations on an ongoing basis and continues to support the sector in its recovery and development post-pandemic.

Significant Government funding of over €162 million was provided in the last two years to help sports organisations to recover and grow post-pandemic, support our grassroots networks of clubs and local sports partnerships, and ensure that people of all ages and abilities return to sport and physical activity.

Covid-19 is continuing to impact on the sport sector and the levels of active and social participation in sport have not yet returned to pre-Covid levels. In recognition of the ongoing challenges, funding is being made available again this year to support the sector.

Sport Ireland has been engaging with the National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) and is inviting applications under a grant funding scheme to support the sector in addressing challenges specifically associated with the pandemic. Sport Ireland is communicating directly with NGBs at present regarding the application process and the terms and conditions of the scheme. Similar to previous Covid-19 funding schemes, any funding will be allocated through the NGBs.

As the Deputy will be aware, a current funding allocation of €89.4 million has been announced for Sport Ireland in Budget 2023. This allocation will enable Sport Ireland to continue to support this valued sector next year.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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58. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when she expects the review into the large-scale sports infrastructure fund to be completed; the timeframe to reopen the fund once it has been received; and the process Monaghan County Council will have to engage in following the review in order to secure funding to provide a public swimming pool in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. [46981/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Previously, Government support for new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools was provided through the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). 52 pools have been completed under the LASPP and 3 swimming pool projects remain in the programme. 

In relation to funding support for new pool projects, the National Sports Policy was published in 2018 and provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The National Development Plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100 million for the Fund over the period to 2027. 

It was open to all local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to apply for funding. All applications were assessed in accordance with the published Evaluation Procedures and Guidelines and the published scoring system. The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and, thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals. These initial allocations included funding for 8 swimming pool projects under Stream 2 of the LSSIF all of which are now at various stages of the due diligence process in keeping with the public spending code.

In relation to any future LSSIF funding, my Department is currently undertaking a review of progress on all existing LSSIF grants. As part of this review, my Department is also considering the timing of any new call for proposals. The review work is at an advanced stage and is expected to be finalised shortly. 

Furthermore, the National Sports Policy commits to the development of a National Swimming Strategy. As part of this, there will be a review of swimming pool provision to identify where gaps exist and how these can be met. A working group has been established and is meeting on a regular basis with a view to drafting the new Strategy.  

The outcome of the LSSIF Review and the National Swimming Strategy will be important considerations when deciding how funding will be provided for any new swimming pool proposals.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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60. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports her Department is providing to keep children in sports. [47509/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Increasing participation levels in sport for all age cohorts is a priority of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and is a key objective for my Department.  In pursuit of that objective, we are committed to a Sport for All approach aimed at ensuring that all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of, for example, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. Increasing participation amongst these groups is a core objective of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027, and will be an essential action if we are to achieve the target of 60% of the population participating in sport and physical activity.  

At the end of November 2021, I launched a new Sports Action Plan covering the period up to the end of 2023; this includes a series of actions and initiatives aimed at increasing participation levels across the board including an Innovation Fund to promote innovative collaborative projects aimed at increasing sustainable participation in sport, an Inclusion, Diversity and Equality Fund, and a youth-centred stakeholder forum to guide the adoption of the strategic framework recommended in the Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study 2018.  

In May 2022, my Department held a Youth Stakeholder Forum on sport where we gathered young people together at the Sport Ireland Campus in order to identify the barriers that are keeping young people from sport, and to gain some insight into how those barriers could be addressed. A report on that forum has been drafted and will help inform and direct the measures my Department takes to address youth participation in sport.

In May 2021, Sport Ireland published its Participation Plan 2021-2024 - Increasing Participation in Changing Ireland. The Participation Plan outlines how Sport Ireland will continue to help people to get active by removing barriers to participation in sport and physical activity in the coming years. Sport Ireland is undertaking several initiatives for children and young people under its Participation Plan.  The Sport Ireland Participation Plan actions will be delivered through Local Sports Partnerships, National Governing Bodies, strategic partners, clubs, communities and individuals.

The Sport Ireland Participation Plan is built on, and guided by, the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 (NSP) and the Sport Ireland Strategy 2018-2022. The Participation Plan takes into consideration Healthy Ireland – A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013–2025 and the National Physical Activity Plan as well as global and national developments.

As the Deputy will be aware, a current funding allocation of €89.4 million has been announced for Sport Ireland in Budget 2023. This allocation will enable Sport Ireland to continue to support the sport sector next year, including support for increased participation at all levels.