Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide details of his efforts to enable sports clubs and local schools to collaborate on the construction of multi-purpose community sports halls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64622/25]

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). Sporting organisations can apply directly for CSFF funding while applications to the LSSIF must be made through either a National Governing Body (NGB) of Sport or a Local Authority.

Funding for sports facilities in schools is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Youth. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and schools are eligible to apply for CSFF funding but can only do so jointly with sports clubs. Such applications must provide evidence of facility-sharing arrangements that will allow sports clubs to use the proposed facilities throughout the year when not in use by the school.

One of the objectives of the CSFF is to assist voluntary and community organisations, the 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.

The National Sports Policy was published in July 2018 and provided for the establishment of the LSSIF. The aim of the LSSIF is to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, greater than the maximum amount available under the CSFF. Whilst the Fund has a particular focus on NGBs and local authorities, it is also open to other bodies, such as sports clubs, voluntary organisations, Education and Training Boards and third level institutions to apply but such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a local authority and/or a NGB. Joint applications involving more than one organisation are encouraged.