Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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33. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the specific supports in place to ensure grassroots sports clubs have access to adequate and safe facilities, particularly in disadvantaged areas. [52508/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (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 Sports Capital and Equipment Programme which has since been renamed as the Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF).

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.

Grants totalling €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects, were allocated under the second round of the LSSIF in November 2024. With this announcement, the cumulative investment from the LSSIF since 2020 now reaches €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 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.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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34. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to improve the condition of existing playing pitches, courts and sports facilities in community use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52250/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The Fund aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and assists the purchase of non- personal sports equipment.

Among the Fund's objectives is to assist voluntary and community organisations, national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport, local authorities and Education and Training Boards and schools to develop high quality, accessible, safe, well-designed, sustainable facilities in appropriate locations and to provide appropriate equipment to help maximise participation in sport and physical recreation.

Over €277 million 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. This included funding to improve the condition of existing playing pitches, courts and sports facilities in community use.

In line with previous rounds of the Fund, 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.