Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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21. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will take measures to make his Department’s sports capital funding schemes more accessible and more suited to the needs of clubs. [64347/25]

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 it also assists the purchase of non-personal sports equipment.

Grants are available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), and local authorities. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards and schools may only apply for funding jointly with sports clubs or organisations.

Over 19,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.4 billion. These grants have directly improved sports facilities in every village, town and city in the country and I have been fortunate to see many of these for myself in recent months.

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 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 Fund, a review of the current funding round is being undertaken which will be completed in the coming months. Ease of access and matching the Fund to the evolving needs of applicants are key areas of focus in such funding round reviews. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.