Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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675. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will respond to significant concerns raised by a club (details supplied) in respect of its energy bill, which has increased four-fold; the supports in place to assist such a voluntary body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16868/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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While the Government has introduced a range of cost of living support measures, I am keenly aware that energy continues to drive costs right across the economy, impacting on almost all householders, businesses and organisations.

As part of Budget 2023, a funding package of €35 million was made available to help alleviate the impact of increased energy costs for sports clubs and organisations with a view to ensuring that everyone could continue to enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity over the winter months.

In doing so, the Government acknowledged that increased energy costs are a major concern for sporting organisations and sporting facilities, particularly during the winter months when there is increased demand for indoor facilities with the associated heating and lighting costs, as well as floodlit outdoor facilities such as playing areas, hurling walls, walking tracks, etc.

Notwithstanding that all sporting activity has fully resumed, post-Covid-19, many sporting clubs and organisations continue to feel the impact of the pandemic, not just in financial terms, but also with reduced membership and volunteer numbers. Reduced rates of participation in sport and physical activity will impact the physical and mental well-being of the nation, both in the short and long term, and this is something we wish to avoid.

The Sports Energy Support Scheme (SESS) was launched by Sport Ireland in November 2022 to support sporting organisations with the rising energy costs associated with the provision of sport. The funding is in the main being distributed through the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport in like manner to the suite of COVID supports that have been provided to the sports sector throughout the past 2 years.

To date, €21 million of the SESS fund has been allocated and Sport Ireland continues to liaise with NGBs to ensure the allocation of the remaining funding as soon as possible. Sports clubs should continue to engage with their NGB to ensure they avail of their full entitlement under the scheme.

I am engaging with Sport Ireland to ensure the SESS fund is drawn down to the greatest extent possible.

It should also be noted that the Department strives to improve environmental performance through energy efficiency supports in its capital funding schemes. Currently the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme funds a range of green measures including modifications to sports facilities to reduce energy consumption and restricts funding for floodlighting to LED floodlights. Under the most recent round, opened in 2022, €15.4 million was allocated to 166 applications which featured green measures such as LED floodlighting, solar and PV panels.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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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 investment in disadvantaged areas.

Under the three most recent rounds of the programme, in 2017, 2018 and 2020, a total of 6,372 grants were allocated. The final grants under the 2020 round were announced on Tuesday 31 May last year and the total allocation of €166.6 million for the 2020 round represents the highest level of allocation ever made under the SCEP. The priority in the short term is to advance the successful applications to "formal approval" and grant drawdown stage. In this regard, it can take some grantees a number of years to fully draw down their grants due to the need to fully comply with the terms and conditions of the Programme. These requirements include the need to obtain a number of quotations for the work, complying with the legal requirements of the Programme and ensuring that all tax clearance requirements are adhered to.

A list of all allocations under all recent rounds of the SCEP is published on my Department's website at: - www.gov.ie/en/collection/471ed5-sports-capital-allocations/.

A full list of all payments made can also be viewed on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/efc6c4-sports-capital-programmes-payments/.