Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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263. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if funding will be provided for the replacement of equipment at a leisure centre (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15234/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to my Department's responsibilities, capital funding for new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools was previously provided through the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). 52 pools have been completed to date under the LASPP.

My Department's capital support for new swimming pools is now being provided through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The first LSSIF allocations were announced in January 2020 and thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals including 8 swimming pool projects. While the priority in the short term is to advance the projects that were already allocated funding, a review of the LSSIF Programme is underway. 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. As part of that review, the Department is examining, inter alia, progress on all projects awarded funding to date, whether there is any scope to award additional grants and whether there should be a new call for proposals.

With regard to the purchase of sports equipment, the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising the needs of disadvantaged areas and groups (such as people with disabilities) in the provision of sports facilities.

With regard to the timing of the next round of the SCEP, following completion of the appeal process, my Department commenced a full review of all aspects of the 2020 round of the SCEP. The Review is nearing completion and I hope to publish it shortly. Any recommendations arising from the finalised Review will be reflected in the next round. Furthermore, my officials are engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the launch of the next cycle of the SCEP. Once this process is concluded, I will announce the exact dates from which new applications will be accepted.