The National Sports Policy as published in 2018 provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) and the National Development Plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100m for the Fund over the period to 2027.
The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals.
The priority in the short term is to advance all of these projects. As it is now approximately 18 months since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the Covid pandemic, it is timely to review progress on all projects. My Department is engaging with all applicants in this regard. As well as the progress on existing grants, the Review is considering whether additional grants should be awarded including grants to previously unsuccessful applications. The timing of any new call for proposals is also being considered. Any new allocations, "top-up" grants or a new call for proposals, will be dependent on receiving additional funding for the LSSIF following the completion of the review of the National Development Plan. It is expected that my Department’s Review of the LSSIF will be completed in the coming months.
