Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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148. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the plans there are to improve sports and recreation facilities in west Wicklow, in particular the swimming pool for west Wicklow, a sports centre for Baltinglass and a walkway around the Blessington lakes. [34986/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

The LSSIF was established under the National Sports Policy, published on 25 July 2018, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the CSFF. The aim of the fund is to provide investment in sporting infrastructure that will reinforce the Department’s stated sporting objectives such as increasing active participation in sport, including female participation and participation by those with a disability as well as increasing social participation and improving high performance in sport.

Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland. The total investment over the first two LSSIF rounds (2019 and 2024) stands at €297 million, with funding allocations provided to 68 large-scale projects.

Since 2015, almost €17 million was allocated to over 300 sporting projects in Wicklow through the CSFF. In addition, a total of €2.23 million in LSSIF funding has been awarded to Wicklow-based projects. Of this, €1.79 million was allocated to Wicklow Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre to upgrade to the swimming pool facilities and this project is yet to commence. €436,032 was allocated to Charlesland Athletics Track for replacement of the athletics track and this work is now complete.

The Programme for Government commits to supporting the sporting ecosystem so more people can participate, reap the benefits of sport, and fulfil their potential from grassroots right up to high performance level. It will achieve this through a number of measures including continuing to support the funding of sports capital projects and assessing the distribution of funding to maximise participation in all sports at community and national level and continuing to work with sporting organisations to promote equality of access to sporting facilities and to drive increased participation in sport.