Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status update on the provision of a water activity hub, in Carlow town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53210/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The National Sports Policy, which was published in 2018, provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and national governing bodies of sport. All applications were assessed in accordance with the published evaluation procedures and guidelines and the first allocations were announced in January 2020. Thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals.

I understand that it is the intention of Carlow County Council to apply for Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Funding for the proposed water activity hub in Carlow Town.

With regard to a possible new round of the LSSIF, Minister Martin and I are determined to see continued investment in sports facilities in order to ensure we achieve our ambitious targets for sports participation across the country. Accordingly, we will continue to engage with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the timing of the opening of a new round and the funding required to underpin such a round.