2026-05-07

15. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the next round of sports capital grants will be opened for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33161/26]

16. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he hopes to open up the community sport facilities fund and the large-scale sports infrastructure fund for applications. [33164/26]

18. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the next round of the sports capital grant will open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32999/26]

19. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the capital funding programmes for sport, such as the community sport facilities fund will open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33292/26]

27. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there will be increased levels of grant aid in the next community sports facilities fund scheme, taking into account the substantial increase in construction costs since the last round of grants were approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33411/26]

33. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the review into the current funding round community sport facilities fund will be finalised; the budget allocation for the forthcoming CSFF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32811/26]

39. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he expects to open the sports capital and equipment grant programme for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32459/26]

40. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport in light of his Department aiming to open the new round of the CSFF in the first half of 2026, when the new guidelines will be published in advance to include updated eligibility and likely assessment criteria in this next round; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32741/26]

56. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when details of the next community sport facilities fund will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33410/26]

When does the Minister hope to open the community sports facilities fund and the large-scale sports infrastructure fund for applications?

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 16, 18, 19, 27, 33, 39, 40 and 56 together. I thank Deputies McGrath and Cleere for their questions. The programme for Government commits to continuing to support the funding of sports capital projects and assessing the distribution of funding in order to maximise participation in all sports at community and national level. My Department's Statement of Strategy 2025-2028 commits to continuing to invest in sports infrastructure through the community sports facilities fund, CSFF, and also the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. Deputies will be aware that these funds are critical to advancing the development of sporting facilities in different counties and parts of the country. This infrastructure is key to sporting participation and success and we will continue to invest in it. One of the benefits of the investment we have seen as a result of the community sports facilities fund over the last years has been a growing level of participation. Sport Ireland's sport monitor shows that just under 50% of the adult male population now participate in sport at least once a week and among women, just 3% less than that, at 47%, participate in sport at least once a week. Significantly, in recent years we have seen the closing of the gender gap between the participation levels of men and women. This success is putting significant additional pressure on our sporting clubs and organisations in relation to the need for facilities and the quality and standard of facilities. This is all a result of that success. The Government's objective, through grants from the community sports facilities fund, is to work with clubs to help them develop their facilities. We have seen the significant impact these grants have had since 1998 when the community sports facilities fund, previously the sports capital fund, was established. A total of €1.4 billion has been invested in grants to clubs, with 19,000 different projects supported. There has been a significant and generational change in the quality of facilities across the country as a result. The most recent round saw the largest ever investment in the community sports facilities fund, at just under €270 million, with over 3,000 projects supported and 40 different sports types benefiting. We are now in the process of preparing for the next round. Significant work on a review of the previous round has been undertaken. We are working towards being ready to open for applications next month. We also have to finalise our engagement with the Department of public expenditure in advance of that. A lot of work has been carried out. We are also in the position of finalising a new communications or IT platform on which applications will be received. Everyone involved with clubs across the country will be very familiar with the OSCAR platform, which has been in place for over 20 years. Work is being finalised on a new platform which will be ready to accept applications on this occasion. It will be more user-friendly for clubs and for those making applications. We are also finalising the finer detail in relation to the terms and conditions and how the scheme will operate. These will be made clear to clubs when we open it up. This applies to the standard club applications, which, under the previous round, were for a maximum grant of €200,000, and the regional applications, which were for a maximum grant of €500,000 under the previous round. The stream within the community sports facilities fund for equipment grants will be available again this time around. That was capped at €70,000 last time around. Clubs can apply for that. We had discussions earlier about the challenges of getting access to premises. Through this round, we want to bring about more collaboration around how people provide facilities where clubs do not have premises. Basketball and boxing clubs, for example, which may not have a premises and instead rent premises, are eligible to apply for equipment grants. Clubs must have a lease or ownership of a premises if they are applying for a capital development grant, but not so for equipment grants. This is certainly an option that clubs will be able to avail of as well. I am meeting many clubs to gain feedback and provide information opportunities to clubs in different counties. We are also engaging on their experience of previous rounds of funding. The information gathered as part of that will help inform the review of this round to make sure it is as workable and practical as possible for clubs and to address the particular challenges we see as regards areas that have growing demand and sports that may have been underfunded in the past. We are working towards being able to open up the fund, all things going well, next month, pending Government approvals, and to have an application round over the next months.

I very much welcome the Minister of State's commitment in relation to these sports schemes. They are critically important. We are a proud sporting nation, as the Minister of State outlined. It is critical that we continue to invest in sporting facilities. There are many sporting clubs, community groups and national governing bodies waiting for the sports funds to open for applications. I see the importance of sporting clubs in my community. They are the thread that holds the community together. They provide a very positive outlet for people of all ages, particularly young people. It is essential in the world we are living in that we provide this positive outlet. Sport provides immeasurable benefits from a health point of view, both physical and mental health. It is critical, therefore, that we continue to invest in sporting facilities. I welcome the commitment the Minister of State gave and the fact that the community sports facilities fund is likely to open for applications in June. I also asked about the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. If the Minister of State or the Minister could give us some clarification in relation to that, it would be welcome.

I thank the Minister of State and acknowledge his role in the sports capital grant. To see the fund increase under previous governments from €70 million to €170 million and then to €270 million in the previous round has been absolutely fantastic. This Government needs to continue to support and invest in sporting organisations right across the country. The caps on the regional, local and equipment grants were €500,000, €200,000 and €70,000, respectively, in the previous round. It is my strong view that grants need to be brought in line with increased costs. I implore the Minister of State to try, to the best of his ability, to get all three of those caps increased to give clubs a fighting chance. Sports capital grants are a shot in the arm for clubs that are the lifeblood of communities. They are at the heart and soul of communities right across the country. They make a phenomenal difference and the Government has to continue to support them. I look forward to the funds opening up in June for the thousands of clubs across the country that can benefit from this significant funding.

We have all seen the benefits of sports capital grants. There was a lot of conversation about the sports capital grant for the pitch and lights in Oriel Park. It has been a great benefit and absolutely necessary. We need that to continue. I add my voice to the call to increase the caps of €200,000 and €500,000 given the higher costs, especially with serious capital builds. When will the large-scale sports infrastructure fund open? This is of major interest, not only to Dundalk Football Club and Oriel Park, but particularly to Louth GAA. We have seen the work on the stadium going on, and rightly so. If this was a couple of weeks ago, I would be talking about how great the Louth team is doing but it has been a rough week. I commend the under-20 team on a good came against Kildare. The best of luck to them. Hopefully we do better at senior level against Dublin next time.

I thank Deputies McGrath, Cleere and Ó Murchú. With regard to Deputy McGrath's question on the large-scale infrastructure fund, we have had two rounds of that fund so far, in 2019 and 2024. The national development plan provides for one round to be conducted and opened during this Government term. We expect it will be a couple of years from now, towards the latter end of the Government, because the current focus is on drawing down funding and making sure the projects funded in the most recent round are followed through on. We will be monitoring that closely. We are not talking about the next year or 18 months, but a time beyond that, perhaps in a couple of years. We will monitor it as it goes. We will monitor that closely. We are not talking about the next year or 18 months. We are talking a couple of years beyond that. We will monitor it as it goes. There will be one round of the LSSIF over the Government's terms. We are considering the caps as part of the review. The Minister and I will engage with the Department of public expenditure and across government as well to make sure that the funding envelope can be as strong as possible. That will inform where we are at with the caps as well in terms of the level of funding that can be made available and our general guidance on that. Going around the country, I met Deputies McGrath and Cleere in their own areas. I know they have many projects they want to see going forward. There is real demand. It is exceptionally rare that I visit a club or an organisation that is not under pressure for capacity and space. That is a reflection of the really strong work that the volunteer input that drives our clubs and makes support possible in communities is achieving. From a Government point of view, we have to work to try to support clubs with their key priorities in how they are developing their club best to meet the needs of their members and the participation demands that are on them as well. We look forward to working closely with the Deputies to finalise the detail of this review, and then to having a round open over the next number of months and to make sure that it is as practical and as accessible as possible for clubs to be able to participate in it. We will all work collectively as a Government then to try to support the great work happening in our communities, driven by clubs and underpinned entirely by a voluntary commitment and effort. It makes such a difference and is such a gift from those people to their local communities in terms of the time they give up throughout their week for a wonderful dividend with sport being part of more and more people's lives on a regular basis.

I welcome the Minister of State's acknowledgement of the volunteers who help to run these sporting clubs across our country. They are critically important. People give up their time to proved a positive outlet for people of all ages in our communities. I want to add one point on the need to continue to invest in our sports facilities. Housing is our number one priority as a Government and we are rezoning additional land across the country. We will see additional houses built in our towns and villages. It is critically important that we invest in our social infrastructure, such as sporting facilities, to provide outlets and amenities for people. As I mentioned to the Minister of State previously, in my hometown of Carrigaline I have a project in the pipeline for the LSSIF. This is why I am interested in that fund. This is a combined application made up of a number of local sporting groups and we have a very ambitious project in the pipeline, so I will follow up on that with him in due course. I welcome the fact that there is a commitment to open up that fund during the Government's term.

As the Minister of State knows, I have a number of projects and I am sure we will discuss them at length in due course. I want to pay tribute to his colleagues in Killarney as well. Ken and the lads have been fantastic in any dealings I have had with them on existing schemes to new ones going forward. I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to the LSSIF to open in late 2027 or early 2028 as provided for in the programme for Government. We have some key infrastructure projects in my constituency that I look forward to discussing with the Minister of State as well. Last night in Kilkenny I attended an amazing event for an incredible young man called Peter Lynch. He is the fastest marathon runner in the Republic of Ireland. He ran 2:06:08 to finish ninth in the London marathon and was the first European past the post. Peter is a product of Kilkenny City Harriers. In March, he ran the first sub one hour half marathon in New York, which was an incredible achievement. The community of Kilkenny City Harriers and Kilkenny County Council came out last night to support and congratulate this young man on his incredible achievements. It is important in this House that we acknowledge that Peter was an ordinary young lad growing up, worked his way through and showed incredible and resourcefulness. To come away and be a pure champion is absolutely fantastic. I pay tribute to Peter Lynch and Kilkenny City Harriers for their fantastic work.

I agree. We all know the necessity of sport as being a real positive in a world of many negatives. It is about making sure that the money does come on stream and that the Government would look at the caps. Whether it is Louth GAA, Dundalk FC or Drogheda United, they would be somewhat worried about what looks like a delay in the LSSIF. It is necessary, particularly for League of Ireland clubs. I said it about Louth previously and now I will say it about Dundalk FC. Hopefully we will do better against Bohemians at the weekend than we have done in the last while. We also need to make sure that we support the likes of Peter Lynch, Kate O'Connor and those who are coming behind them. We know some good work has been done but there is a lot more that needs to be done. We are starting from behind in some cases.