Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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1328. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to establish a large scale sports infrastructure fund grant scheme; to open a round in 2025 and-or 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41279/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established under the National Sports Policy, published in 2018, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sport Facilities Fund (formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Fund).

The first allocations under LSSIF were announced in January 2020 with €86.4 million awarded to 33 different projects. Additional funding of €37.6 million was allocated to 27 of these projects in December 2023, bringing the total awarded under LSSIF 2018 to €124 million.

In 2024, the second round of LSSIF received an unprecedented demand for funding. On 4 November 2024, grants totalling €173 million were awarded to 35 projects. Details of these allocations are available on the Department's website www.gov.ie/en/service/6f3f3-large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif-2024/#lssif-allocations. As a result of the significant demand, a range of valid applications did not receive an LSSIF allocation at the initial allocation stage.

My current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF, 2018 and 2024, and this process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of a future round. The timing will also be considered in the context of the determining the detailed spending allocations within my Department under the National Development Plan as recently agreed by Government.