Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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469. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the timeframe on the LSSIF funding for a facility (details supplied); when his Department will advise Cork County Council of the exact information needed to progress with the project; the timeframe on progression of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7473/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2024, allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) totalled €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects. With this announcement, the cumulative investment from the LSSIF since the first round in 2020 totals €297 million.

Mallow Athletic Track was successful under the 2024 round of LSSIF grants and has been provisionally awarded €2 million towards the cost of the project.

My officials have met recently with the applicants as part of the ongoing engagement process and have outlined to them the additional information required to be submitted.

While the timescale for the delivery of the project is ultimately a matter for the applicants, I am very keen to see as many LSSIF projects as possible progressing quickly.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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470. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the announcements for the Sports Capital Grants for 2025 will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7480/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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On 25 September 2024, €230 million was announced in grants for sports clubs and facilities under phase 2 of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme). Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to community sports clubs and facilities in total in 2024, taking account of the earlier equipment-only allocation of €26 million. This represents the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.

In line with previous rounds of the programme, a review of the current funding round will be undertaken and that review will inform the timing of the next round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund. However, I would anticipate that the next round should be announced in 2026.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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471. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the maximum grant that will be awarded through the sports capital grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7481/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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472. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a sports club can make applications through the sports capital grant scheme two years in a row; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7482/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together.

Under the Community Sports Facilities and Equipment Fund (formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme), the maximum total grant payable (covering both capital and sports equipment elements) cannot exceed €200,000 for local projects and €500,000 for regional/national projects. Maintenance equipment grants are capped at €40,000 and equipment grants of over €70,000 will only be awarded in exceptional circumstances (such as directly to NGBs).

The maximum grant however may be reduced depending on the particular circumstances of each application. Full details can be found on the department's website at the following link:

There is no prohibition on applying for funding under the Community Sports Facilities Fund under consecutive rounds.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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473. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his Department offers funding or grants to encourage women into and to remain in sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7483/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Department, through Sport Ireland, provides funding to encourage women and girls to participate, and remain in, sport. Sport Ireland distributes the funding, on behalf of Government, to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs).

The Women in Sport funding programme is in place since 2005 and, since then, over €30 million has been invested through the NGBs and LSPs. In 2024, €4 million was allocated to the Women in Sport Fund. This represented a significant increase on 2023 in which it totalled €2.7 million and the years 2022 and 2021 in which it totalled €2 million annually.

In 2024, the Women in Sport investment was allocated across four strands as follows:

1. National Governing Body Women in Sport Funding Allocation – totalling €2,000,000

2. Large Field Sports Organisations Women in Sport Funding Allocation – totalling €1,000,000

3. Additional Women in Sport Grants – totalling €250,000

4. Women in Sport Policy Implementation – totalling €750,000