Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Capital funding for sport is provided though the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

My Department is conscious of the need to respond to growing demand including demand arising from population increase. The 2020 round of the SCEP attracted a record 3,106 applications with a total of €166.6m allocated to the Programme.

After every recent round of the SCEP a review is undertaken with a view to making recommendations on how to improve the programme and process for future calls. The review of the 2020 programme identified new areas for focus including prioritising applications from areas witnessing significant population growth. Accordingly, the "Scoring System and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round includes criteria to address the issue of population growth

The latest round of the SCEP 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 National Sports Policy which was published in 2018 provided for a new Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The aim of the fund is to provide Exchequer support for larger sports projects and facilities where the required Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP).

In January 2020 allocations of €86.4 million in LSSIF funding were awarded to 33 different proposals. In December Minister Martin and I announced additional funding amounting to a total of €37.6 million, with 27 existing LSSIF projects benefiting, bringing the total awarded to date to LSSIF-funded projects to €124 million. This additional funding for projects was provided, in response to delays experienced by grantees arising from the pandemic and construction inflation.

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 published on the Department’s website in due course.

Finally, Minister Martin and I are engaging with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with regard to the Department's capital allocations for the coming years. This process is ongoing and the outcome will inform the level of funding which will be available for allocation.