William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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41. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when his Department plans to invest in a new regional sports complex in County Laois to support community participation, competitive events, and elite athlete development; the timeframes, funding, and stakeholder engagement processes which are planned to deliver such a facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63401/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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While my Department is aware of proposals in development regarding a regional sports complex in County Laois, no application was received in respect of such a proposal under the most recent 2024 round of the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

The LSSIF was established under the National Sports Policy, published in 2018, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sport Facilities Fund.

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. Applications under LSSIF must be made by either a Local Authority or a National Governing Body of Sport (NGB). It is a matter for those organisations to prioritise their capital development requirements.

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 is 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. No decisions have yet been made regarding the next round of LSSIF.