Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1378. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update and timeline on LSSIF and sports capital funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43523/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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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 Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), benefitting over forty sports, as well as multi-sport facilities, throughout the country. 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 CSFF. However, I would anticipate that the next round should be announced in 2026.

The Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF).

The allocations under the first LSSIF round (2018) were announced in January 2020 and totaled €86.4 million 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.

Grants totaling €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects, were allocated under the second (2024) round of LSSIF in November 2024. The cumulative total allocated from the LSSIF therefore now stands at €297 million.

With regard to a future round of the LSSIF, I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide. The Programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels.

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 determining the detailed spending allocations within my Department under the National Development Plan as recently agreed by Government.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1379. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update on his engagement with the FAI about long-term planning to ensure the sustainability of the League of Ireland, including the upgrading of stadiums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43524/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The sustainability of the League of Ireland is fundamentally a matter for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), which, like all National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs), is an independent, autonomous body and as such, is responsible for the organisation and development of its own sport, including the organisation of its games and leagues and the development of its facilities.

Further to a commitment in the Programme for Government, consideration is being given to how the development of football academies might be best supported. An important piece of work in this context is supported by an additional funding grant of €1 million to the FAI in 2024. This funding will enable the FAI to produce a detailed report on the development of football academies, including a deep baseline audit of existing academy structures and needs, which will inform the development of an academy development plan. The funding also enabled the FAI to recently appoint an Academies Administrator to support the development of new academy programmes and to track their impact. I look forward to further engagement with the FAI on this topic and to receiving the report which will be key to considering the next steps to be taken.

While the FAI has sought significant State funding to support its academies development plans, it is important to note the sizable financial support directed to the FAI and to football more generally over the past few years. Over €75 million in State funding has been allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2024, including €30.2 million specifically to support football development and aimed at promoting participation in football by young people, with the balance in funding comprising Covid-specific and energy supports to the FAI and the wider football sector.

The 2020-2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the government and the FAI provided €5.8 million per annum to the FAI. A new MOU was signed on 17 December 2024, which has increased State funding to the FAI to €6 million per annum for the period 2024-2027. The bulk of this funding will go towards the FAI’s Youth Field Sports grants, which are aimed at developing the grassroots of the game, improving coaching and playing standards, growing participation numbers and embracing communities outside of the traditional base of the sport. Under the terms of both MOUs, the FAI has made significant progress regarding governance reform.

With regard to stadiums, €48.9 million has been allocated to football stadium projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford FC under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund. Considering this significant state investment, it is important that we now see progress on the development of these four stadia. While future rounds of LSSIF will be open to further FAI/LOI applications, it is vital that the game itself also generates its own funding for the development of its facilities.

In addition, €76 million has been allocated to support the development of grassroots club football facilities nationwide under the 2020 and 2023 rounds of Community Sports Facilities Fund (formerly known as the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme).

The Government has also introduced changes to the tax code in the most recent Finance Act to incentivise more people and businesses to donate to sports clubs and NGBs, thus enabling them to generate increased external investment.

I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in all levels of Irish football and to see it maximise its potential in the coming years.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1380. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update on his engagement with Louth GAA on the delivery of the new stadium in Dundalk, and the plans for LSSIF funding to facilitate this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43525/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sports Facility Fund (CSFF).

The GAA submitted an application for funding support to a number of projects, including the Louth GAA stadium development, under LSSIF 2024, However, due to the unprecedented scale of funding demand, a wide range of valid applications did not receive an allocation under this second round of the LSSIF, including the Louth GAA application.

The allocations under the first LSSIF round (2018) were announced in January 2020 and totaled €86.4 million 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.

Grants totaling €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects, were allocated under the second (2024) round of LSSIF in November 2024. The cumulative total allocated from the LSSIF therefore now stands at €297 million.

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 determining the detailed spending allocations within my Department under the National Development Plan as recently agreed by Government.