Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

13. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps being taken by her Department to increase the sporting potential of County Meath. [36895/24]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme is the main channel of Government support for developing sports facilities and purchasing sports equipment throughout the country.

I am pleased to confirm at least €250 million in allocations is to be made available under the current round of the Programme. This will facilitate the largest-ever investment in sports facilities across Ireland.

This record allocation is on foot of positive engagement on revised allocations for the National Development Plan with the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe.

Over €26 million in equipment-only grants under the current round of the Programme were announced in May and these grants have been provisionally allocated to sporting organisations, representing over fifty different sports, across the country. In Meath, 38 sports clubs and organisations benefitted from equipment-only grants under the current round of the Programme, totalling over €915,000 in grants.

The assessment of funding applications for capital works under the Programme, together with capital works with an equipment component, include 107 applications from Meath. Assessment of those application is now at an advanced stage and I expect to announce those allocations soon.

The €250 million secured for the current round of the Programme represents a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022, under the 2020 round of the Programme. This should mean positive allocation decisions for all valid applications under the current round.

I can also confirm that a number of applications have been received from Meath under the current round of the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund. €120 million has been secured for the current round of the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund and assessment of those applications is ongoing.

Our network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) across the country plays a crucial role in promoting and increasing participation in sport and physical activity at local level and in engaging groups that are underrepresented in sporting activity.

Through their expertise and local connections with the sports communities, LSPs are able to identify specific needs and deliver effective initiatives accordingly. In 2024, the Government through Sport Ireland, will invest a total of €11.4 million in our LSPs.

In 2002, Sport Ireland established Meath Local Sports Partnership, in conjunction with Meath County Council. The Government, through Sport Ireland, will invest over €530,000 in core funding in Meath Local Sports Partnership in 2024. This core funding represents an increase on the €439,878 invested in Meath Local Sports Partnership in 2023. For 2024 in total, Meath Local Sports Partnership will receive €1.2 million in funding from the Government through Sport Ireland, the local authority and other funding sources.

In addition, under the Outdoor Swimming Infrastructure fund, Meath Local Sports Partnership was allocated €23,000 in public funding, in respect of developments at Laytown beach. This funding is in addition to being awarded funding to employ an Outdoor Recreation Officer as part of a pilot initiative.

Meath Local Sports Partnership has also been allocated funding for a Sport4Empowerment officer, who will focus on providing opportunities for the most socially isolated individuals, to become active in sport.