Vol. 1070 No. 1
125. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his position on the redevelopment of the landmark Ulster GAA stadium, Casement Park; and the steps his Department is taking to support the project to construction phase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34632/25]
I thank the Deputy. In February of last year the Government agreed to a range of funding allocations of more than €800 million to affirm its commitment to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and with the UK Government to make cross-Border investments that will make the island of Ireland a better place for all of us who call it home to live. This is evidence of course of our commitment to Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement and of North-South co-operation. It is the largest ever package of Government funding for cross-Border investments.
As part of this wider set of commitments, the Government announced a commitment of €50 million through the Shared Island Fund to contribute to construction of a redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast. This is both a North-South and an east-west project. It is the Government's wish that the ground will be made available to a wide range of sporting and cultural events.
Consistent with the Government's on funding for large scale sports infrastructure, principles for funding of the project will be agreed such that it is accessible to and will benefit a range of sports, and is operated to facilitate equality, diversity and inclusion in sport, including supporting cross-community relationships in Northern Ireland and throughout the island.
I welcome the UK Government’s recent funding commitment of £50 million, as part of the UK Chancellor's spending review, for redevelopment of Casement Park. I have met, as has the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, with the GAA recently to discuss how the project can move forward without further delay.
The Government and the UK Government have each made significant funding commitments to support the delivery of a redeveloped Casement Park. It is now for the Executive and the GAA to confirm their respective funding commitments for the project, which each date back to 2013, and to define the overall funding package available that will allow redevelopment to proceed. I am hopeful that this total amount would then be sufficient to see the project move ahead without delay. The Government will continue to engage positively with all stakeholders to encourage that outcome.
I welcome the Minister of State's comments about North-South co-operation and striving to build cross-community relationships. The amount pledged by the Government has been broadly welcomed in all corners of our country, along with the £50 million from the UK Government, the £62 million from Stormont and the £15 million from the GAA.
Although the project is still some way short of the £260 million price tag and we expect that to rise due to inflation, the progress in recent weeks is welcome, despite the many delays. The critical thing now is to bring everyone together to ensure that work is started on the stadium as soon as possible. This will not be just beneficial to the GAA but will be of huge social and economic benefit to Belfast and to all of us in creating jobs and attracting investment.
I also welcome the comments of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste last Friday following the North-South Ministerial Council meeting reiterating the Irish Government's commitment to this project and that they stand ready to assist it. I urge the Government to do all it can to support this project through to completion.
We are all united in this House on the importance of this project going forward. That is very much represented by the Government's financial commitment to the project as well.
When the redevelopment of Casement Park was first mooted in 2013, a budget of £77.5 million was envisaged to complete the project, made up of £62.5 million from the Northern Irish Executive and UK Government at that time and £15 million from the GAA. Of course, as the Deputy said, costs have increased significantly and the overall cost projection in that intervening 12-year period. In recognition of this and of the significance of a redeveloped Casement Park as a facility for Belfast and Ulster both for Gaelic games and for other sports, that €50 million of shared island funding was allocated by the Government in 2024. However, we stand ready now to work with all stakeholders. At the moment it is really with the GAA and the Northern Ireland Executive to engage on their funding commitment, which dates back to 2013, when the overall cost tag was £77.5 million for the project. We will certainly work with both the GAA and the Executive to be as constructive as possible to see what is a really important project come to fruition.
The delays are regrettable. They are, unfortunately, a sign of the times in which we live. None of us wants this opportunity to slip away and to be left looking back with regret in the years to come having made no progress. I note and appreciate the Minister of State's collegial tone. I look forward to working with the Department and both the Minister and Minister of State to assist in any way I can, going forward.
I thank the Deputy. It is appropriate that we discuss the issue today, given the good progress we have seen. All of us welcome the commitment of €50 million from the British Government. Let us now continue to move forward. The stadium has been a tremendous loss to Belfast, the province and the island. It has fallen into disrepair and is not being used. We want it to be rebuilt and redeveloped so that its full potential is realised. We look forward to working with everyone to achieve the objective.
126. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he expects to receive the findings from the independent review of the night-time economy pilots; and if he anticipates these findings will recommend the appointment of night-time advisers across all local authorities. [35189/25]
Will the Minister outline when he expects to get the findings of the independent review into the night-time economy? Does he anticipate the findings will recommend that a night-time adviser is appointed to each of the county councils?
I thank the Deputy. In support of action 19 in the report of the night-time economy task force and as part of the Department's key role in driving the night-time economy in Ireland, we are funding nine night-time economy advisers in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Sligo, Longford, Buncrana and Drogheda.
The night-time economy pilots are a significant project within the night-time economy policy area and arguably one of the most impactful. This year, I have allocated just under €1.4 million in funding to support these pilots to cover salary costs and a funding package to roll out their plans, including support for Culture Night Late and Cruinniú Late.
The advisers are helping to drive and support a more sustainable night-time economy in their local areas. The Department engages with them regularly and supports their development. They also work collaboratively on larger projects, which have included a late-night transport campaign in partnership with the National Transport Authority and a late-night safety campaign. Each is responsible for developing specific action plans for their own areas. The Department has detailed service level agreements with each local authority setting out key objectives and deliverables.
Following a competitive tendering process in 2024, Communiqué International was appointed to conduct a review of the nine night-time economy pilots to look critically at the structures involved in supporting the advisers, the visibility and impact of each in their respective areas, the future roll-out of the pilots, whether a further roll-out is warranted and what needs to be put in place.
I understand that the review of the pilots has now concluded and the subsequent report is due to be finalised very shortly. The report will detail a set of recommendations in respect of the future of the pilots. I have not seen the report yet as it is not finalised and, therefore, I am not in a position to comment about what the findings are likely to be. Once the report is received, we will undertake a consultation exercise with the County and City Management Association and the wider night-time economy implementation group about the recommendations on the future roll-out, prior to publication. I expect publication to take place soon after that.
It is good to hear support for the plan, especially in respect of public transport, which is a particular difficulty outside Dublin when people try to get in and out to venues in cities.
I attended the launch of the report from the Give Us The Night campaign yesterday. Its members have been campaigning for reform of the Irish nightclub industry for more than 20 years. Parts of that industry are still regulated by the 1935 Public Dance Halls Act. We need renewal in the nightlife sector. It is in a bad way. There are 23 nightclubs in all of Dublin and none in the north of the county. Shenanigans in Skerries is long gone. This needs to be addressed and discussed.
I would also like to mention the Oireachtas broadcast unit workers and their precarious employment. I urge the Minister to meet them, if he can. Their dispute seems to have cross-party support. It would nice for them to be heard.
I thank the Deputy. The Oireachtas broadcasting unit, as the Deputy knows, is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. All parties are represented at that commission. Those are ultimately the people who have responsibility for the operation and running of the Oireachtas. It would not be appropriate for me to cut across the Ceann Comhairle and members of the Oireachtas commission.
In response to the comments the Deputy made about the night-time economy, much progress has been made in this space. During the week, for instance, the Government made a decision to establish a Dublin task force. This is not just a Dublin issue. It is an issue that relates to small towns and villages and other regional centres. I was glad to hear the Deputy reference the improvements that have been made to public transport. That is encouraging, although more in that space needs to be done. I see it in my own area. The Government has made significant investments in rural transport. All of that, together with the review of the report once I have finished it and can lay it before the House, will add substantially to the whole night-time economy.
I thank the Minister. We can work on this issue on a cross-party basis. I thank him for his contribution and look forward to the publication of the report.
I acknowledge the Deputy's support for the sector. He has been consistent in his remarks.
127. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the process undertaken for deciding on successful grant applicants for the grassroot music venues support scheme funding; if regional dispersal of the awards was considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34955/25]
This question relates to the process undertaken for deciding on the success of grant applications for the grassroots music venues support scheme funding. Was regional dispersal of awards considered? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank the Deputy. I launched the grassroots music venues support scheme in March this year to support small and established music venues that promote themselves and are known in the community for programming grassroots music artists, in recognition of the contribution they make to the music industry and the wider night-time economy. The support scheme aims to provide employment opportunities for emerging artists and professionals, including production staff and crew, who are dependent on live performances. The scheme operated with a total fund of €500,000 and grants were available of up to a maximum of €15,000 to host events showcasing the talent of emerging grassroots artists performing live music that they have written or created themselves.
A total of 96 applications were received by the Department and assessed strictly in accordance with the guidelines of the scheme. In line with the published criteria, applications were processed by my officials strictly by order of date and time of receipt, that is, on a first come, first served basis. In addition, venues had to meet the eligibility criteria in order to qualify for funding. Venues had to demonstrate that they promote themselves and are known in the community as an established live music venue or dance venue with grassroots music performance forming a core part of their programming. The venues had to operate with a capacity of 500 or less. Venues were also required to submit evidence, in the form of promotional material, photographic evidence and ticket sales, of a strong track record over two years, 2023 and 2024, of regularly programming grassroots music events.
Applications were, as I said, assessed on a first come, first served basis. While regional dispersal of the awards was not considered as part of the assessment process, I am satisfied that the grants awarded demonstrate a good regional spread. In addition, the important feedback and insights gained from this pilot edition of the scheme will help inform us of any future decisions in respect of the scheme.
I understand that some people might be disappointed, as I have already said. I recognise the value of this scheme to venues across the country and I am committed to considering another phase of this support in the not-too-distant future.
The main question here is whether applicants were aware when they submitted their applications that the scheme was run on a first come, first served basis. In March this year, the application process closed. There were 96 applicants, some of whom, although we do not know how many, did not qualify. Only 33 applicants were granted any money from the pot. Even though €5,000 or up to €15,000 could be allocated, every one of the applicants whose application was granted received the maximum amount. There is still a shortfall of €5,000 in the fund, which could have been allocated but seems not to have been. The main question is whether any of the applicants know before others about the secret change. There was no indication in advance that this was going to be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The Deputy will appreciate it was a pilot scheme that had a relatively small amount of money available and attracted considerable interest. The officials in my Department had to ascribe a basis for the allocation of the moneys, as I have outlined. They also had to cut it off at a certain point because there was no point in continuing secula seculorum. We will be doing this again and will have regard to those who were unsuccessful this time around. I hope to build the scheme into the budget for 2026 at a much higher level. We will take account of the findings from the initial tranche of the pilot.
Hopefully, it will be put on a much more concrete basis in future, akin to something like the sports capital grants, where it will be done regularly. I want to try to support as many as I can and I want to support the smaller ones in particular. This was a first stab at it. In fairness to the officials in the Department, they did their best with a very small amount of money.
I welcome the money, as does the industry. The Minister mentioned the sports capital grants. It would be chaotic if that scheme were to be run on a first come, first served basis. When opening and closing dates are issued, all the applicants have to be assessed case-by-case based on their qualifications. The Minister or the officials can then put them in whatever order will be acceptable. This would be in contrast to saying in the middle of an application scheme, however, that it is first come, first served and hard luck to all those after number 33 that do not qualify. This seems to have been the case in this regard rather than looking to see if the money could be divided up in a more equal way, or perhaps even look at a regional distribution. The fact no venue north of Galway or west of Louth got any of the funding suggests something else is going on here. I welcome that the Minister is going to run this scheme again, but I ask him to please examine it and run it in a different way from what it looks like was done in this instance.
Regarding the previous question Deputy O'Donoghue raised, it will be appreciated by Deputy Ó Snodaigh that a small town like Buncrana has a night-time economy adviser that the Department made provision for. Many towns in Ireland that are much bigger than Buncrana do not have one. This is the basis of pilots. There will always be disappointment but once the pilots are concluded, that will give us an opportunity to take lessons from the scheme. I compared this to the sports capital grant. I know what the Deputy said was a bit tongue-in-cheek and he appreciates I would not ask anybody to divvy out €350 million on a first come, first served basis. This is €500,000. It is a start. It is regrettable that the party opposite is trying to undermine and pick holes in a scheme that, ultimately, I am trying to get into the budget. It has been welcomed by the night-time economy and the venues. Ultimately, there is disappointment. There was going to be disappointment when there was only €500,000 but I hope to be able to allay that disappointment in future. Rather than having a go at the scheme, it might be a more productive use of time to see if there were suggestions the party opposite might propose for the scheme in future.
I gave the Minister the suggestion that he not do it on a first come, first served basis. There is a basis that I outlined, so I ask him not to misrepresent what I said. I welcomed the fact that this was going to happen and also welcomed him indicating he was going to have another grant scheme.
128. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will abolish the TV licence and replace it with a tax on big tech companies to fund public service broadcasting. [35187/25]
The TV licence is a regressive, unjust tax.
Ah Jesus.
The richest household in the country has to pay the same €160 as the poorest eligible household in the country.
Oh my God.
Increasing numbers of people are voting with their feet and boycotting the TV licence. Will the Minister read the writing on the wall, scrap this regressive tax and replace it with a levy on big tech corporations?
The question is whether I will abolish the television licence and replace it with a tax. No, I will not. That is the end of that. I have no notion of doing it. That fund is in place to support RTÉ and public service broadcasters. It also supports Sound and Vision. I have no intention of replacing it. I also have no intention of going down a cul-de-sac as the Deputy would like us to do, which would be a road to nowhere for RTÉ and everyone associated with broadcasting. The short answer is "No".
I thank the Minister. I presume he accepts that the tax is deeply unpopular. Licence sales have plummeted since the Tubridy scandal and everything else that came out in terms of the behaviour of those at the top of RTÉ. In 2022, €950,000 was paid. This dropped to €825,000 in 2023 and €790,000 in 2024. This represents a drop of more than 155,000 households that are refusing to pay, either in protest or because they cannot afford to pay this regressive flat tax that takes no account of ability to pay.
I suspect that RTÉ's appalling coverage of the genocide in Gaza has contributed to the further drop in people buying TV licences, when RTÉ often continues to use a both sides framing of what is a horrifically asymmetrical conflict in using terminology like "Hamas-run health ministry" and providing platforms for representatives of the genocidal Israeli State.
I am here to answer questions regarding communications, so I will answer the question on communications. There was not really a question in the Deputy's second contribution. My position remains the same. The television licence is not a tax, by the way. I do not see that reference anywhere in the legislation, so I do not know what hat he drew that rabbit out of. It is an important funding mechanism for RTÉ. The Deputy would be the very first person out in RTÉ protesting if the Government were to in any way reduce funding to it. He wants to have his cake and eat it. On this, I am not going to go down the cul-de-sac where he just wants to erode the tax base of every element of public expenditure and revenue generation. He seems to think there is a phantom entity out there that can pay for everything bar yourself. That is the way he operates. In the real world of a constitutional democracy, that is not the way things work. If he ever gets the opportunity to spend a day in government, maybe he will realise that.
The Minister might tell us if considers all the countries across Europe that have abolished TV licences not to be constitutional democracies. Is the test of being a constitutional democracy having a TV licence? He might clarify that. I presume he is aware that just over one third of funding for RTÉ and public service broadcasting comes from the TV licence. It is not even where a majority of funding comes from. The Minister may not be aware of our proposals in RTÉ for the People: A Radical Plan to Transform RTÉ and Public Media, which would increase funding for public service broadcasting, and takes on board many of the recommendations of Coimisiún na Meán and does so not by imposing this regressive flat tax on ordinary households, but on the big tech corporations making huge profits. I do not know if the Minister is aware of this fact. I do not know if he is aware of the parasitical role these corporations play on journalism, where they are not creating any of this content but getting most of the advertising revenue from it. It clearly makes sense, therefore, to allow those companies to pay. I will continue to support those who refuse to pay the TV licence. I warn the Minister this number is increasing. It seems even An Post has given up pursuing people, if we look at the number of prosecutions, which are also dropping.
The Deputy is no stranger to RTÉ and he gets a fair crack of the whip there. Of course, he never uses the opportunity to express his thanks for the unbridled coverage he seems to get from RTÉ on a day in, day out basis. Those of us on this side of the House might have something to complain about if there was a fairness test. I do not, however, because it is a public service broadcaster and I am not going to interfere in editorial coverage.
It sounds like the Minister is interfering now.
The Deputy has form in this space. He does not want to pay for anything. He feels that everybody else should pay for something else other than him. He is entitled to start whatever campaign it is he wants to start to undermine another public service. I do not wish him the best of luck with it. Most people do not either. When he does get an opportunity to sit on this side of the House, with whoever it is that will actually have him as a partner in government, he will then see there is more to running a public service than a megaphone.
129. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department plans to expand the basic income for the arts scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34053/25]
I was sorry to hear about the Minister's ill health recently and I wish him the best of luck with it in future too. The basic income for the arts scheme is an initiative we in Aontú have supported for many years. Many artists live in poverty and deprivation and have lives full of economic anxiety. The basic income for the arts scheme is designed to reduce that deprivation and to help artists to create. Will the scheme be expanded in a manner that will encompass more than the current 2,000 recipients of this income?
I thank the Deputy for the question and for his remarks at the start of his contribution. The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. I appreciate the importance of the basic income support for artists, which is why last week I announced that the Cabinet had agreed to my proposal to an extension of six months to allow further evaluation of the pilot data. This will also give sufficient time to engage in stakeholder consultation and to evaluate the data which will provide the evidence base for Government to make decisions on the next steps.
The primary objective of the scheme is to help artists deal with the precarious incomes and to prevent talent from leaving the sector for economic reasons. Evaluation of the pilot is and has been continuous, with participants completing a detailed survey every six months. The Department has been undertaking a comprehensive research programme based on this data. I am aware that there is broad-based support for the scheme, and I recently met with the National Campaign for the Arts to discuss the scheme. I intend to bring proposals for a permanent intervention to Cabinet as part of budget 2026 based on the evidence arising from the research programme and stakeholder engagement.
The current scheme costs just under €35 million per year to provide the payment to 2,000 recipients. The cost of a six-month extension is €16.7 million.
The net overall cost of the pilot scheme to the Exchequer is likely to be less, given the high number of recipients who were previously on social welfare supports prior to the scheme. A cost-benefit analysis currently under way should bring further clarity to the overall costs.
While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on participants. The scheme support is hugely valued by artists in receipt of it. It has been the subject of much positive commentary both at home and abroad and makes an important statement about the value that the Government and Ireland place on the arts. A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme once the research is concluded.
First of all, it is interesting that we do not know the net cost. We know the cost but many of these recipients were on social welfare previously.
I ask the Minister to speak to the other aspect of this, namely, the impact it is having on the creative sector at present.
Much of the study, and the information, has been on the 2,000 recipients but there is a control group of 6,000 other individuals who applied for this income. I would be interested to know how those in the control group are experiencing being an artist in an economically difficult situation. If that information was available to the Opposition, it would be an important part of the discussion and the development of this fund. It is worrisome that there is no evidence as yet - maybe it is the Minister's plan - that the scheme will be expanded to the other 6,000 people who have applied for this. There are few income supports that are given at random to a small sample of the people who need them. Most income supports are given to everybody who needs them.
I agree with the Deputy, to be honest about it. It has shone a light on the precarious nature of the income, which was the initial overriding consideration my predecessor had when this scheme was brought in. Not everybody was enthusiastic about this scheme when it was brought in but, qualitatively and quantitatively, when we have the research concluded, it will demonstrate in a clear way that this is a good scheme.
Ultimately, I would love to be able to broaden it, but it will be resource dependent in the context of the budget. First of all, I will have to get Cabinet approval for its continuation as a scheme. The amount of funding that will be made available to it will obviously be a determining factor in respect of the number of people we will be able to support. We will also have to have consideration, as the Deputy rightly said, for those who would have loved to be part of the initial scheme but who, unfortunately, for one reason or another, were not.
There is a bit to roll on this yet but the most important thing is that the Government, the Department and I, as Minister, are committed to it.
One of the difficulties is that for many, in reality, being an artist is synonymous with poverty. While now and again on the news or in the newspapers we see people who do economically well from their art, they are a tiny minority of that group. Historically, we know of artists who died as paupers only to have their art appreciated after their deaths. It is important that there is an understanding of the value of the work artists do in reflecting back to society who we are and what we are about. There should be space given for that cohort of individuals to be able to create and produce their work.
I ask the Minister that any information he currently has on the impact of the fund on the creativity of the 2,000 artists who are in receipt of it, but also any of the qualitative analysis of the control group, be given to the Opposition as soon as possible or published in order that we can understand the benefits better.
I will take the last part first. Once I have had an opportunity to digest the material - the Deputy would accept that is not unreasonable - it will give me an opportunity to make further decisions. As regards the result of the analysis and the possible publication, we want to be sensitive to people's individual identities, etc. I do not want to compromise people one way or another. I also am conscious, as I stated, that there are a number of people who did not get to participate on the scheme.
It is important to point out that even outside of the scheme there is significant support being provided by my Department, indirectly or directly, to the arts. The total budget for the Arts Council is of the order of €140 million. This is not insignificant. It has grown quite large over the past number of years under successive Ministers and we hope to be able to continue that trajectory during the lifetime of the Government.
130. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the total budget and allocations for elite sport athletes; his plans to enhance that amount in the lead up to the next Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34959/25]
I ask the Minister about funding for elite athletes in Ireland ahead of the next Olympic cycle.
As the Deputy will be aware, for the Paris Olympic cycle 2021-2024, the Government provided a record level of investment of approximately €89 million towards high-performance sport. This was a substantial increase on the €59 million invested for the previous Tokyo cycle. In line with the Government's target of delivering €30 million per annum for high-performance sport by 2027, as indicated in the national sports policy, Sport Ireland has announced that €27 million will be invested in high-performance sport over the course of this year. This increased funding for high-performance sport will reflect, in particular, Sport Ireland's High Performance Strategy 2021-2032, which provides the overarching policy framework for the development of the high-performance system for the next two Olympiads, that is, Los Angeles the next time around, in 2028, and Brisbane in 2032.
The international carding scheme provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes. The primary purpose of this funding is to support Irish athletes in reaching finals and in achieving medals at European, world, Olympic and Paralympic levels. This year, Sport Ireland will invest €4.5 million under the international carding scheme and the player funding scheme for men's and women's senior teams. Through the Sport Ireland international carding scheme, 129 individual athletes and others on relay teams will be supported across 16 different sports. Sport Ireland also provides €350,000 of Government funding in direct athlete support to Golf Ireland through the Golf Ireland professional scheme.
The task ahead is to sustain and build on what has been achieved to date. More athletes, coaches on stable contracts and additional services will be needed in the coming years to enable national sporting bodies to carry through well-funded, stable high-performance programmes. Therefore, the importance of collaboration in preparing for these games, in particular between Sport Ireland, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and the relevant national governing bodies of sport, should also be recognised.
With the benefit of considerable support from the Government, I am confident that Team Ireland's participation in the next Olympic and Paralympic Games will build on the successes of recent games.
It must be recognised initially that, as the Minister of State outlined, since the previous Olympic cycle funding has dramatically improved, which is very welcome, but he will be aware that there are probably more challenges facing our elite athletes than ever before. I speak specifically about aspects of social media and the pressures that brings. Many athletes are having to try to find alternative streams to support them in taking time off work or, in some cases, giving up their jobs and dedicating themselves to sport. Built in with those pressures are mental health concerns as well. There is the possibility of burnout because athletes are training at such an immense level.
The dramatic increase in funding is welcome but, obviously, the job we have here is to ensure that we bring home more medals in the future, which is what we all want. The nation gets a lift every time our athletes go out and perform and bring home the goods. Our job is to continue to highlight that they always need additional funding.
It is fair to recognise we have come a long way and a large part of that has been down to the funding that the Government has put behind our athletes, alongside really good governance and planning and strategic direction, both by Sport Ireland and the national governing bodies but, of course, on top of all of that and most important is the commitment and excellence of our athletes. That contributed to us having our most successful Olympic Games ever in Paris last year with a medal haul across a number of disciplines, some of which we did not have a strong history in.
I was glad to address the Olympic Federation of Ireland AGM yesterday evening with many of the governing bodies in attendance and, indeed, to congratulate all of them collectively for the work they have done in supporting athletes. That is something we, as a Government, are committed to continuing to do. We are committed to continuing to back that effort and back our athletes with good strong funding but also, importantly, to making sure we are backing athletes in terms of their well-being. That is why we have also supported the Federation of Irish Sport in appointing an athlete support manager in September last year and also why we are backing the Sport Ireland athlete career transition programme to make sure athletes are supported in their transition from a sporting life to professional life after that.
I do not think I need to recite them all but I will give a few examples. Paul O'Donovan, who we all know from the rowing world, is practising as a surgeon. Sophie Becker was working in a full-time job in a pharma company until recently. Phil Healy was working as a software engineer. They are all doing this while competing at the top level in their sport. The dedication those people demonstrate is immense. I do not think anyone in this Chamber could give the commitment and dedication they do to their respective trades.
On funding in the wider sense in terms of LSSIF and putting money into facilities, not only for the elite athletes but also the amateur athletes who aspire to one day make it to professional or international status, will the Minister of State give us a run-down of the next round of the LSSIF and when he anticipates that might be?
I acknowledge the Deputy’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of sporting organisations in his constituency. We expect to open the sports facilities fund, which is for clubs up to a maximum of €200,000, next spring with announcements next autumn. It normally runs every two years. We have only ever run two iterations of the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, the first in 2019 and the more recent at the end of 2024. The plan is to reopen that in a shorter timeframe for the third round but it should be borne in mind the last one was a five-year gap. We would like to pull that back but that will be dependent on being able to get capital funding. We are currently engaged in the national development plan review for the next five years and that will be central to the decision on the fund. Our focus now is on those who did receive funding last autumn and working with them to make sure they get on with the project. We see drawdown by the 2019 applicants too and we are making sure all those projects proceed. I know it is something in which the Deputy takes a very big interest in his constituency and I look forward to continuing to work with him on that.
