Sports Funding

123. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to confirm the details of the community sport facilities fund which is opening to applications in October 2026; the total amount of funding allocated to the fund; and the additional measures available in this round. [73899/26]

I know that the Deputy has had a strong interest in this fund and has been waiting for it to open. I am glad to outline the details. He will have seen that we published the information guide for the 2026 round of the community sport facilities fund, CSFF, in the last couple of weeks. The 2026 round will be administered on a new grant management system, SPRAOI, which opened for registrations on 28 September. SPRAOI opened for applications on Monday, 19 October 2026, and will remain open until 26 February. In line with previous rounds it is proposed to assess the level of demand following closure of the applications window. Following that assessment, my Department will engage with the Department of public expenditure in the context of the Department’s capital envelope under the national development plan. This process will inform the timing and quantum of funding allocations. The 2026 round of the CSFF includes a number of new features, including increased maximum grant amounts that will allow local project applications to apply for up to €250,000, which is a €50,000 increase in the maximum from the last round, and also regional tier 1 projects to apply for up to €550,000. A new regional tier 2 funding category has been introduced on a pilot basis for larger multisport facility applications from local authorities and sports national governing bodies. Additionally, eligibility criteria have been eased with lease requirements of ten years instead of the previous 15-year requirement and removing the mandatory requirement to have registered leases. The round also includes changes to encourage more joint applications with schools and to drive stronger engagement with the “sport-for-all” ethos that underpins national sports policy. These changes will facilitate clubs and organisations in applying for funding to support the facilities that their communities need in order to serve people of all ages and abilities. All applications will be assessed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the fund, as set out in the published information guide for the round.

I thank the Minister of State. It is important that we acknowledge the work that has been done by the Department but also by all the sports organisations around the country over recent years in the way they have effectively used funds to develop facilities. It is important we acknowledge that. The issue in relation to this grant allocation is the Minister of State said it will close on 26 February. What kind of time period are we talking about for assessment before clubs will know when the money will be available to proceed with works? The other big issue in relation to sports facilities is the cost of developing them. It has changed quite a bit. There is one particular issue we need to be conscious of which is areas where there has been huge growth in housing and additional facilities are needed. The team in my area of Ballincollig won the premier intermediate hurling championship in Cork on Sunday. It has done a lot of work in involving young people. It is important to ensure areas like that get funding.

I congratulate Ballincollig on winning the intermediate hurling final. It was a wonderful Sunday and a wonderful weekend with a number of county finals taking place including in my own county. Listening on Monday morning to the "Morning Ireland" sports review collage of the different county finals and finishes across the country shows what a wonderful weekend it was. It is good to see the Deputy here today after Ballincollig's win on Sunday. The Deputy is right - with the number of young people and people of all ages and both genders taking part, there is a need for more club facilities and expansion and improvement of facilities. Applications will close at the end of February. Our objective then will be to have funding announcements by the end of the summer period so the clubs will know where they stand and be able to progress their planned projects.

It is important that I acknowledge the Glen which is also in my constituency. It won the senior hurling championship for the first time in ten years. It needs to be congratulated as well. It has developed huge facilities as a result of getting grants down through the years. It has used them very effectively. It is important that we look at areas where there is a huge growth in population. That is happening in my constituency. In Ballyvolane, over 1,000 are going in. We need to make sure we continue to develop facilities in those areas. Likewise in places like Blarney and Glanmire. In Glanmire they are caught - no additional land is available and clubs find it extremely difficult to develop facilities because land is not available yet 30 acres was leased to the FAI over ten years ago. It is still lying idle and not being used even though the land is owned by the county council. That needs to be resolved.

I join Deputy Burke in wishing the Glen well. I think it was its first time in ten years being county champion. I congratulate the club. The Deputy's point is very valid. In large urban and developing areas in his constituency and other parts of the country, we have to make sure we pay attention to that in relation to the round. That is why we developed the new tier, tier two, of a maximum of €750,000 to try to work with local authorities and national sporting bodies to bring sports together. We also need to work with local authorities in particular in the identification of land in areas where it is scarce and encourage collaboration with schools where that is a possibility in some cases. We have made the conditions of this round more amendable to try to encourage schools and patrons to work with clubs. I encourage all schools and patrons to look at that. There is real potential. That is all the more important in areas where land is at a premium because we not making more of it. We have to utilise the best we can by working together and investing.