Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
555. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what engagement there has been with the FAI following the publication of its investment vision and strategy report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37150/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy officials and I have regular engagement with the Football Association of Ireland on a range of matters. With specific reference to the Association’s recently published “Facility Investment Vision and Strategy”, I met with senior leaders of the Association on 6 June for a briefing on the Strategy.
The Government is strongly committed to sustained investment in infrastructure and other facilities for sport. The appropriate level of investment needed to meet the needs of a growing population and to support increased levels of participation by people of all ages and at all levels is a matter for careful consideration. In this regard I welcome the FAI’s Strategy as a useful input to that consideration while noting that the level of Government capital funding sought for soccer alone is ambitious in the context of the total funding available in recent years to all sport.
In relation to the existing capital supports that are available from my Department, as the Deputy will be aware, the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Since 1998, over 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The final allocations under the 2020 round were announced on 31 May last year and the total allocation of €166.6 million represented the highest-level of allocations ever made under the Programme. Soccer projects alone received over €25m, compared to €6.6m, under the previous round. It is important to note that every valid soccer application for capital works received a grant offer. Minister Martin and I recently announced that a new round of the SCEP is open for applications until 8 September.
Furthermore, my Department also administers the 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 available under the SCEP. The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport.
The first LSSIF allocations were announced in January 2020 and, to date, approximately €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 projects including a number of soccer related projects such as design funding for Dalymount Park and construction funding towards the development of Finn Harps stadium.
With regard to a possible new round of the LSSIF, Minister Martin and I will continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, in relation to the additional funding required and the timing and terms and conditions of any new round of the LSSIF will be announced in due course.
To help to achieve the objectives of the FAI Strategy, I look forward to an increased number of soccer related applications under the SCEP and under the LSSIF when there is a future call for proposals.
