Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update on the progress being made regarding the playing pitches fund, as committed to under the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52443/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to supporting local authorities in the acquisition of new lands for parks and playing pitches to help build liveable communities.

While neither of my Department's sports capital funding programmes - the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) - provide for the acquisition of land I would be supportive of any funding proposal that would enable local authorities to acquire lands for sport and recreation purposes. My Department will also engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding any supports, financial or otherwise, which that Department may be able to offer to assist local authorities in securing playing pitches for local communities.

Once lands are acquired for sporting purposes, applications for capital investment (including equipment) on those lands can be support via the CSFF and the LSSIF.

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. 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.

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. 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.