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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021

Tuesday, 15 June 2021

Questions (509)

Imelda Munster

Question:

509. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the additional €7 million announced in budget 2021 for large-scale sports infrastructure is a once-off Covid-19 payment for 2021; if it can be understood to be a new component of her Department’s baseline core funding allocation; the amount of it that has been spent to date; the amount expected to be spent by the end of 2021; and the amount expected to be carried over to 2022. [31073/21]

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Written answers

The National Sports Policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount (€300,000) available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. The National Development Plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100m over the period to 2027 for the Fund.

The first allocations under the Fund were announced at the beginning of 2020 and approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 proposals to date. These projects are at various stages of a due diligence process and formal grant agreements have now issued to a number of the successful applicants.

In relation to this year's LSSIF funding, a total of €14.6m is available in the Department's subhead. None of this funding is Covid related. While no payments have been made to date, now that a number of formal grant agreements have issued, the first payments are expected to be made in the coming months.

My Department is currently undertaking a review of the LSSIF which is expected to be complete in the coming months. This review will consider, inter alia, progress on all existing grants and will provide an insight into the likely spend for the remainder of the year. The timing of any new call for proposals will also be considered.

In regard to allocation in 2022 and any carryover, this will form part of the Budget 2022 discussions with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

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