Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in view of the increased and growing population of west Wicklow, if he will advise on development of sports facilities for west Wicklow, in particular a swimming pool for Blessington and the sports centre for Baltinglass (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52573/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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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 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the CSFF. The scheme is aimed primarily at National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Authorities; it is also open to other bodies but such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a Local Authority and/or a NGB.

Wicklow County Council applied under the 2024 round of LSSIF for funding towards the ‘Blessington Swimming Pool’ project. However, the Council did not provide the required title documentation. The Department wrote to the Council seeking the title documentation; this was not received however and, as a result, the project was not eligible for LSSIF funding. As set out in the LSSIF guidelines all LSSIF grantees must provide proof of title in order to be eligible for LSSIF funding.

In assessing applications under the 2024 round of LSSIF, consideration was given to factors such as socio-economic disadvantage and population growth in the relevant areas. The evaluation guidelines and scoring matrix are available on my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/campaigns/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/

The cumulative investment under the LSSIF since 2020 is now €297 million across 68 projects. Of this, a total of €2.23 million in LSSIF funding has been awarded to Wicklow-based projects. €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 LSSIF is currently closed to applications. 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. 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.

The CSFF is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. In the 2023 round of CSFF over €7 million was allocated to sporting projects in Wicklow. 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.