Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 November 2022
9. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the way that negotiations are proceeding with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to reviewing or recalibrating sporting club commitments under the largescale sporting infrastructure fund scheme and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56519/22]
View answer15. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 1 October 2020, if the referenced review of the largescale sports infrastructure fund has been completed and the intended timeframe in which she intends to reopen the fund to facilitate new applications from local authorities for funds in support of constructing new swimming pools. [56641/22]
View answerI understand negotiations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are proceeding with regard to reviewing sport club commitments under the largescale sport infrastructure fund. Can the Minister of State provide us with an update on that?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 15 together.
While Government support for larger sports projects was previously provided on an ad hoc basis, the largescale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, was launched in 2018 to provide an open and transparent system for applying for such funding. The first call for proposals was confined to national governing bodies of sport and local authorities.
Following a detailed assessment process, the first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 different proposals. These initial allocations include funding for eight swimming pool projects. Details of all applications made and grants awarded are published on my Department's website.
It should be noted that the allocations were announced in January 2020 just prior to the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic obviously gave rise to significant financial challenges for all grantees with many of them having to reprioritise their own expenditure plans due to reductions in their income streams. In more recent times, the high level of construction inflation has also presented considerable challenges for grantees. In view of these issues, it was considered timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants and meetings with all grantees have now taken place. It is encouraging that, based on these discussions with grantees, 22 of the 33 projects should be in a position to draw down funding in 2023. Accordingly, I expect to see significant progress on many of the LSSIF projects in the short to medium term and so there is unlikely to be any savings in the relevant subhead next year to allow a reallocation of funding. I am also aware that progress has been made by a number of grantees in securing additional sources of funding outside of the LSSIF process.
Dealing specifically with new swimming pool projects, work has commenced on the development of the first national swimming strategy based on a vision to provide everyone in Ireland with an opportunity to swim. The working group tasked with the detailed work of preparing the strategy is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives from relevant national governing bodies, NGBs, and stakeholders. An extensive consultation process has been undertaken across both stakeholders and the public and work is ongoing on the analysis of this after a very large number of responses were received. It is hoped to finalise the new strategy in the coming months and it will further guide future swimming pool investment policy.
In the medium term, I will continue to explore all options to assist those large-scale projects that have not progressed to date. In this regard, I am continuing to engage with my Government colleagues and officials have also been liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to make the case for further funding for the LSSIF. Securing additional funding will also allow the consideration of a new call for LSSIF proposals, as well as advancing the current design projects to construction stage.
It is welcome to see that €6 million has been drawn down by those 33 projects, as the Minister of State has alluded to. The fundamental point here, though, is that regarding many of these larger organisations, and the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, comes to mind immediately, it is well documented that they are fairly cash-strapped now and are incapable of progressing many of these applications without some kind of a review and a leg-up. It is, therefore, great to see that this engagement has happened. I would be grateful if the Minister of State could provide a timeline regarding when he thinks these negotiations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform might conclude.
I am thinking of one project in particular that is especially time-sensitive and which I have spoken to the Minister of State about previously. I refer to the FAI centre of excellence in Glanmire. It received planning permission about seven years ago. Time is ticking on this project and we must see if we can get it off the ground. It may not be in the guise we initially envisaged but at least work might be started on it. This project is particularly time-sensitive and the planning permission for this project will lapse in the next two to three years. I welcome hearing the Minister of State's thoughts on this issue.
We are continuing to engage with officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In fairness, the FAI, and I can send a note to the Deputy specifically on the engagements regarding the project in Glanmire, is advancing and is the lead applicant for the Donegal Community Stadium for Finn Harps. We expect drawdown to happen there and, hopefully, there will be further progress on this in the coming months. The FAI is, therefore, advancing certain projects. It has also helped and is assisting many clubs in grassroots communities to draw down the record level of funding we gave in the sports capital and equipment programme. I will revert to the Deputy on the specifics of the project he referred to, which I know is important in Cork. As I said, we are continuing to engage. As we have increased drawdown potential, we expect two thirds of these projects to commence next year, which is significant progress compared with where we were at this year. We are conscious of the level of ambition that exists, the need in respect of certain projects that still have a funding gap and this is the basis of our engagement. I do not have a timeline for when this will conclude.
It is welcome that there is ongoing engagement with organisations like the FAI and that they are progressing some projects. I emphasise the importance of the centre of excellence in Glanmire. It will be a project that will cover most of Munster. Especially now that Cork City has been elevated back into the League of Ireland Premier Division, it is imperative that, in conjunction with the FAI, we continue to develop the facility there. As I said, if it does not take the guise or the form we originally planned or envisaged, then some level of development can still take place. The only real outstanding question I have concerns the possibility of the funds not being drawn down on any project, be it in Glanmire or anywhere else. Will the Minister of State confirm what will happen to the money? Will it be ring-fenced for sport in that area and region, will it return to the Minister of State's Department or will it go to other outstanding projects?
I agree with what was said about Glanmire. Turning to the issue of clubs and organisations establishing and building major or minor sporting facilities, one of the issues that arises is the availability of land and sites for these projects. We are hoping to build many houses. As a former Minister of State in the Department of Justice and Equality, I am concerned about antisocial behaviour if we build more and more houses but no sporting facilities and infrastructure as part of this endeavour. Will the Minister of State agree with me that this is something that must be looked at and reviewed urgently and that we need to start ring-fencing land for sporting facilities, such as swimming pools, soccer pitches, football pitches, running tracks and so on?
I thank both Deputies for their questions. Turning to the comments from Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan first, I am conscious of the importance of the centre of excellence in Glanmire. It was great to see Cork City returning to the Premier Division. I look forward to the club's success next year. I am also conscious of the importance of having proper training facilities for the next generation of footballers. A sympathetic view is taken in respect of timelines and projected funding. This is very much done on a collaborative basis between my Department and the applicants. There is no specific cliff edge for the removal of funding. I encourage continued engagement between applicants and the Department. This is the nature of how these matters are dealt with.
There is an issue in certain parts of the country concerning land. Through the development plan process, it is incumbent on local authorities to ensure land is allocated for recreational use. Many local authorities are doing that. Our role is to facilitate grassroots and local authority applications to fund specific projects. As a Department, we are not presently in the space of purchasing land or owning a significant land bank for the provision of sports facilities. Good sustainable planning ensures this community development piece is aligned with housing supply. We must ensure that this is a core focus in any major plans in this regard.
