2026-03-03

136. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to set out all funding provided by his Department or by Sport Ireland to a centre (details supplied) over the past five years; the amount provided each year; the purpose of the funding; any conditions attached, including requirements around community access or participation; whether those conditions have been reviewed for compliance, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17225/26]

Today, I raise an issue I have raised multiple times in this House and that is the issue of north Dublin's grassroots clubs being effectively blocked out of a centre. The Oscar Traynor centre was sold for €500,000, despite its 2022 evaluation of €4.25 million. I have no problem with a professional club getting a good value-for-money deal. However, I do have an issue with young women and young boys in an area I represent being effectively blocked out from playing football. Could the Minister of State give me an explanation or evaluation? I would appreciate that.

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 community sport facilities fund, CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across the country. The Deputy’s question referred to the Oscar Traynor centre, where €509,182 was allocated to the centre under the CSFF in the period in question. In the 2020 CSFF round, we allocated €23,563 for sporting equipment, including non-personal portable goalposts. My Department is awaiting further information from the organisation before payment can be made. Under the 2023 CSFF round, €485,619 was allocated towards an artificial playing surface, floodlight upgrading, natural playing surface works and ball stop netting. Formal approval to commence these works was granted in December 2025 but no payment requests have been received yet. All CSFF grantees must sign a declaration that from the date of the grant, they will not deny anybody access to any facility or part of a facility for which they received a grant, on the grounds of gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race, sexual orientation, religious belief or membership of the Traveller or Roma community without just, reasonable and proper cause. The Government is focused on promoting life-long participation in physical activity and sport for all sectors of society and communities. We are committed to a Sport for All approach, aimed at ensuring all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity regardless of age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of, for example, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. My Department routinely carries out compliance reviews and annual spot-checks on a proportion of grant-aided projects as allocations are drawn down and participation and inclusion aspects are an important feature of those reviews.

I understand and appreciate that but when I raised this with the Tánaiste months ago, I asked how many Troy Parrotts or Denise O'Sullivans there would be. We just saw the Irish women's team lose two to one to France. North Dublin has a proud history of providing some, if not the best, footballers to the Irish football team. Now, these young men and young women in the area I represent are effectively being blocked out. I have parents, teenagers and children sending me messages to say they cannot train or play the sport they love. This was sold for €500,000 despite an evaluation of €4.25 million. I have no problem with any professional club, and this is not because I support other professional clubs. I represent an area and the children in this area deserve to play the sport. It appears the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, was eager to cash in on the sale, which allowed the organisation to recoup investment. In turn, a professional club secured a permanent academy base but blocked out local clubs I represent.

The understanding is the Oscar Traynor coach and development centre, owned by Bohemians FC, acquired a long-term lease hold on the facility from Dublin City Council. The use of public lands are ultimately a matter for the relevant local authority and not my Department. Access to the facility is now a matter for the FAI and as all NGBs are independent and autonomous bodies and, as such, are responsible for their own governance and operational matters, including the management and operation of its facilities, it is a matter for that organisation to ensure appropriate access. As I said, with the sports funding we provide, there is an onus on everyone to ensure people of all backgrounds, all ethnicities and minorities are included. As regards the checks we put in place, we monitor these and will certainly be doing so for this application and every other application as well.

I appreciate that and I understand the remit the Minister of State's Department holds but I would love if he could chase up how the FAI allowed a grassroots facility serving thousands of young players I represent to be handed over to a club without committee approval. Why was one person allowed to execute the transfer of the site? What checks are in place to prevent this from happening? What role did the FAI play in facilitating a deal that removed community access for north Dublin children who are directly benefiting from this facility? Why was the site sold for a fraction of its value? I understand the Minister of State said he is bound by certain things but the Minister for sport must address these questions. What steps were taken to assess the community impact of this sale? There are four clubs in the Kilmore, Coolock and Darndale areas. Children in these areas who want to play sport cannot do so because they do not have the facilities. I understand that work is being done by Dublin City Council, which I welcome, to improve all-weather pitches. Something needs to be done on this issue. It needs to be looked into. Will the FAI take responsibility for its role?

As I said, my understanding is that a long-term leasehold on the facility was acquired from Dublin City Council. In the first instance, this is a matter between Dublin City Council and the organisation concerned. In relation to approving and granting funds, we check to make sure that applications meet the criteria and that the access conditions are fulfilled. We will continue to do that in relation to all applications. On the transaction and lease in question, that is a matter for the organisation and Dublin City Council.