Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 November 2024
198. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason Portlaoise was not included in the major sports projects announcement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46005/24]
View answerOn Monday, 4 November, Minister Martin and I announced the second round of funding allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). This follows the first LSSIF round of allocations announced in January 2020. The total amount of grants awarded is €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects. With this announcement, the cumulative investment from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund since 2020 now stands at €297 million.
All applications submitted under the LSSIF Fund were required to have the prioritised endorsement of a National Governing Body for Sport (NGB) or of a local authority. This prioritisation was one of a number of factors taken into account in the assessment and ultimate ranking of projects. It was informed by factors such as the potential to enhance sports participation, sustainability, similar access for both men and women, and the ability to execute the project within a specified timeframe.
In relation to LSSIF applications which have not received an allocation, it should be noted that a reserve list is being prepared by the Department, on which all remaining valid applications will be assessed and placed in a prioritised order. As additional LSSIF funding becomes available, projects on the reserve list should then be able to be funded.
