Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) and the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Both of these capital programmes are demand-driven.

Eight of 33 projects awarded funding under the first round of the LSSIF are swimming pool projects. Minister Martin and I have also confirmed that a new round of the LSSIF will open for applications in the first half of 2024, with the dates, terms and conditions to be confirmed in due course. While the LSSIF programme is aimed primarily at the National Governing Bodies of Sport and local authorities it was also open to other bodies, philanthropic funders, clubs and voluntary organisations to apply. However, such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a local authority and/or a Governing Body.

Separately, applications for improvements or renovations to existing, publicly accessible swimming pools were accepted under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) which closed for applications in September 2023.

Both the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023 commit to the development of a National Swimming Strategy. A Working Group chaired by my Department was established in 2022 and tasked with developing the Strategy, which is based on a vision to ‘provide everyone in Ireland with an opportunity to swim’. The working group comprises representatives from relevant National Governing Bodies for sport and stakeholders, specifically Swim Ireland, Sport Ireland, Active Disability Ireland (formerly CARA), Ireland Active and the Local Authorities. Extensive stakeholder and public engagement has allowed for a wide range of viewpoints to be considered in shaping this Strategy. Work on its development is nearing completion and I hope to be in a position to publish it in the coming period.