Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
230. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of large-scale sporting infrastructure funding that has been drawn down in the past five years in respect of Departmental funding sports grant funding which requires 30% matched funding in both total amount per annum and the percentage of the total allocated funding in tabular form. [60345/21]
View answerThe Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was launched in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, including swimming pools, with at least €100m being made available over the period to 2027. It was a condition of the scheme that all applicants provide a minimum of 30% match funding towards the cost of their project.
The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and, thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals. Details of the amounts awarded and the total cost of each project are published at www.gov.ie/en/service/4113b3-large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/ .
To date a total amount of €156,553 has been drawn down in 2021 in respect of one project, the Regional Athletics Hub in Newcastle West. I expect that there will be further drawdowns before year end in respect of that project and in respect of the redevelopment of Dalymount stadium in Dublin.
The priority in the short term is to advance all of the successful projects but as it is now over 18 months since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants. My Department has met with all grantees in this regard and that review process is now nearing completion.
Once that review is complete the scope for awarding new grants to projects which missed out under the first set of allocations and the timing of any new call for proposals will be considered.
