Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The latest round of the SCEP (2023) closed for applications on Friday 8 September, 2023. A preliminary examination of the submitted applications demonstrates that the Programme has again generated a very large number of applications. The total number of 3,210 applications exceeds the record number submitted under the last (2020) round.

The "Scoring System and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round has been finalised and published along with a list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received. These details can be accessed at gov - SCEP 2023 - Applications Received (www.gov.ie). The necessary assessment work has commenced and it is planned to assess the "equipment-only" applications first and announce these grants in the coming months. Work will then commence on assessing the capital applications with the allocations to be announced later.

After every recent round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP), a review is undertaken by the Sports Capital Programmes Division of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media with a view to making recommendations on how to improve the programme and process for future calls. Accordingly any new round of the SCEP can be considered when the 2023 round has been completed and the necessary review has been undertaken.

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

The National Sports Policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of the LSSIF. The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the SCEP.

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.

I would encourage all eligible projects to consider applying for this competitive application process when it opens later this year.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025 provides a clear roadmap of how we can continue to work together to bring about good health, access to services, healthy environments, and the promotion of resilience and to ensure that everyone can enjoy physical and mental, health and wellbeing, to their full potential. The Action plan and associated funding comes under the remit of the Department of Health.

Sport Ireland works with Healthy Ireland to support the delivery of a range of activities targeting physical activity and health. Through Healthy Ireland funding of €1.46 million in 2023, Sport Ireland supported the national programmes of Get Ireland Walking, Running, Swimming and Cycling, Special Olympics, GAA Healthy Clubs, the development of a National Outdoor Amenities Database, the Irish Physical Activity Research Collaboration, the Children's Sport and Physical Activity Study, and events held during the European Week of Sport and Physical Activity.