Written Answers Nos. 529-548
529. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which the forward planning section of her Department incorporates Irish medium provision into its school place planning for Dublin city and other urban areas; whether specific targets exist for the growth of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí under the National Development Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17176/26]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth.
In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (aonad) in an English-medium school.
New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure must be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.
A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. The New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG) is an external independent advisory group which was set up in 2011 to advise me on the patronage of new schools. The patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons.
An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) provides objective information to parents in the relevant school planning areas to assist them in making an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage and language of instruction for the new school.
A prospective patron can choose the school(s) it wishes to apply for and complete an application form in that regard for each school, for submission to the department. The Department provides details on the OPPS of the school(s) and the list of applicant patrons which have applied for patronage of the school(s).
Parents access the OPPS website, which allows them to access the appropriate survey for their area, to input the details of the eligible child(ren) and to select their preferred patron and language of instruction (where applicable). Parental preferences, as well as other considerations such as the extent of diversity of provision in an area (including Irish-medium provision), are key to the decision-making process and to whether, at post-primary level, a school would take the form of an Irish-medium Gaelcholáiste or whether, if English-medium, the school would include an Irish-medium unit or “Aonad”.
My department recently published an NDP Sectoral Investment Plan which provides information on the direction of Irish-medium provision and states that capital investment of €466m has been made since 2020. Additional investment is planned for Irish-medium provision as part of the phased implementation of projects under the NDP in 2026 and 2027.
My department will continue to liaise with local authorities in respect of their county development plans and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.
531. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department intends to publish a multi annual strategy setting out clear timelines, targets and capital allocations for the expansion of Irish medium education in north Dublin and nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17178/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government 2025, 'Securing Ireland’s Future', includes a commitment to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand and support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children.
In this regard, my department published a ‘Policy for Irish-medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht’. A key recommendation of this report was the establishment of a Taskforce on Models of Provision for Irish-medium Education, which commenced its work in November 2025. The role of the taskforce is to provide a platform for collaboration between my department and key stakeholders to develop a pathway to increase provision of Irish-medium education nationally. The taskforce's work is expected to be completed within one year. It will make recommendations to my department on areas such as the criteria for Irish-medium education provision, how to support schools transitioning to Irish-medium education and mechanisms to facilitate expansion of provision.
Also, on 4 November 2025, my department published a 'Framework and Action Plan for Delivery of Increased Choice for Parents on Education Provision at Primary Level'. The initial focus of the framework and action plan was an online, school-specific survey. This Primary School Survey launched on 4 November and ran to 16 December 2025.
This national primary school survey, the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland, was school specific and through its results, aims to assess parental demand and preferences for different types of primary school provision including the language of instruction (English or Irish).
The survey preferences on providing education primarily through the English language or through the Irish language will inform potential future local consultation around opportunities to increase the provision of education through Irish.
The survey itself is not a final step. Where there is clear support from parents and guardians for change to be considered, a further process of inclusive dialogue will begin.
Initial high-level summary results focusing on response rates will be published in early 2026, with a Q2 2026 timeframe for school-level data.
It is also worth noting, that in addition to the above measures, my department recently published an NDP Sectoral Investment Plan which provides information on the direction of Irish-medium provision and notes that capital investment of €466m has been made in this area since 2020. Additional investment is planned for Irish-medium provision as part of the phased implementation of projects under the NDP in 2026 and 2027.
532. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of Gaelcholáistí, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17179/26]
View answerPlease find attached requested data. Data is collated from the 2025-2026 preliminary enrolments which can be found at the link below. Gaelcholaistí are those schools with an Irish classification of "all pupils taught all subjects through Irish" We expect to publish final enrolments for 2025-2026 in June 2026.
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/post-primary-schools-enrolment-figures/
The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, includes a commitment to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand and support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children.
In that context, on 6 November 2025, my department published a ‘Policy for Irish-Medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht’. The policy sets out my department’s vision that high-quality Irish-medium education will be available to all, in inclusive and multicultural educational settings.
A Taskforce on Models of Provision for Irish-medium Education was established in November 2025 as a key action under the policy. The role of the taskforce is to provide a platform for collaboration between my department and key stakeholders to develop a pathway to increase provision of Irish-medium education.
The taskforce's work is expected to be completed within one year. It will make recommendations to my department on areas such as the criteria for Irish-medium education provision, how to support schools transitioning to Irish-medium education and mechanisms to facilitate expansion of provision.
|
Academic Year 2025-26 |
|
|
County |
Gaelcholaistí |
|
Carlow |
1 |
|
Cork |
6 |
|
Donegal |
5 |
|
Dublin |
10 |
|
Galway |
11 |
|
Kerry |
3 |
|
Kildare |
2 |
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
|
Limerick |
2 |
|
Mayo |
2 |
|
Meath |
1 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
|
Waterford |
2 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
|
Grand Total |
50 |
533. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the proposed increases to An Post pensioner payments will be implemented. [17148/26]
View answerUnder section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post. The operation of the schemes is a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes.
In accordance with the Act and the relevant Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, An Post must seek Ministerial approval from both Ministers to increase pensions and deferred pensions for members of the An Post superannuation scheme. Section 2.13 of the Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies Superannuation and Remuneration annex sets out that NewERA advice should be sought in respect of pension amendment proposals, as is appropriate in their role as commercial and financial advisors to the Ministers.
On 23 October 2025, An Post wrote to my Department requesting consent for an increase to pensions in payment and deferred pensions, namely, to increase pensions in payment for members and deferred members of the An Post Superannuation Scheme by 6% per annum with effect from 1st January 2025 and 1% from 1 June 2025, arising from its agreements with employee representative groups. In line with both the Code of Practice for State Bodies and the relevant legislation, Ministerial consent has been granted and this was conveyed to An Post on 25 February 2026.
534. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps his Department is taking to support wider diversity and participation in sport from underrepresented groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17204/26]
View answerThis Government is committed to a "Sport for All" approach aimed at ensuring that all persons can partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of gender, age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of minority groups such as the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities.
Sport Ireland's network of Local Sports Partnerships plays a crucial role in implementing the National Sports Policy and increasing participation levels in sport and physical activity particularly in underrepresented groups.
In January, I announced a record level of core funding investment in sport for 2026. The LSP network was allocated €12.66 million, an increase of 5.9% on 2025. This is supplemented by additional investment from other funding streams, including Dormant Account Funding and the European Social Fund Programme.
€500,000 was allocated to Local Sports Partnerships through the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion fund as part of Dormant Account Funding for Sport in 2025. This supports projects that remove barriers to participation in sport and physical activity for individuals from diverse and underrepresented communities. A dedicated €1 million Disability in Sport funding stream is also in place since 2025.
In addition, Sport Ireland has been awarded €11 million from the European Social Fund Programme to implement a social innovation and inclusion programme over the 2021 – 2027 lifetime of the Programme. This has enabled Sport Ireland to establish the Sport4Empowerment Programme to use sport and physical activity for social inclusion and empowerment. This programme targets four population cohorts, in the form of youth at risk, ethnic minorities, persons living with disabilities and those from a disadvantaged backgrounds.
As Minister for Sport, I will continue to promote sport to all cohorts and work to remove barriers to participation.
535. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has concerns regarding the planned Ireland v Israel Nations League fixtures; the engagement his Department has had with the FAI on the fixtures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17205/26]
View answerNational Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs), including the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures. The Government has no role in determining or supporting the organisation of such fixtures. Instead, the international federations, in this case, UEFA, have a leadership role for their global games, and it is at this level that strategic decisions should be taken rather than by individual countries’ NGBs.
The FAI has decided to play the fixtures against Israel in the UEFA Nations League this Autumn, in accordance with its obligations as a member of UEFA, and having consulted with An Garda Síochána and other key stakeholders. The FAI briefed Minister O'Donovan and me on this matter last week and it advised that it will be engaging with the Norwegian Football Association to learn from its hosting of a match against Israel last year. The FAI also advised that it has engaged with the Israeli Football Association, which does not expect a significant number of Israeli fans to travel to Ireland for the fixture.
I support its decision of the FAI to fulfil these fixtures in the context of its obligations as a member of UEFA and in enabling our athletes to compete at the highest level of International competition.
On a wider note, I want to reiterate that Ireland supports ongoing efforts to implement the Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza conflict. All parties must adhere to their commitments in full, desist from any actions inconsistent with what has been agreed, and continue to negotiate in good faith to ensure full implementation.
536. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department or Sport Ireland has received complaints or representations in the past three years about community access to publicly funded sports facilities in Dublin; if so, the number received; the issues raised; the action that was taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17226/26]
View answerThe Government is focused on promoting life-long participation in physical activity and sport, for all sectors of society, and communities.
We are committed to a "Sport for All" approach aimed at ensuring that all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity regardless of age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of, for example, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities.
All Community Sport Facilities Fund grantees must sign a declaration that, from the date of the grant, they will not deny anybody access to any facility or part of a facility for which they received a grant on the grounds of gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race, sexual orientation, religious belief, or membership of the Traveller or Roma community without just, reasonable and proper cause.
As for the facility that is the specific topic of the question, only one representation has been received by my Department regarding access to the facility and that representation was received from the Deputy himself on 4 February 2026.
My understanding is that the facility in question is owned by Bohemians FC, which acquired a long-term leasehold of the facility from Dublin City Council. The use to which public lands are put is ultimately a matter for the relevant local authority and neither I, nor my Department, has any role in that regard.
Access to the facility is a matter for the football club and its governing body, the Football Association of Ireland. All National Government Bodies are independent, autonomous bodies and as such, are responsible for their own governance and operational matters, including the management and operation of facilities. Neither I, nor my Department, has any role in that regard and it would not be appropriate for me to intervene.
537. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the national funding or grants that are available to a local football club (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16213/26]
View answerMy Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Sporting organisations can apply directly for CSFF funding while applications to the LSSIF must be made through either a National Governing Body (NGB) of Sport or a Local Authority.
I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026. It is anticipated that the next round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years. Any organisation that wishes to make an application must first be registered at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie.
538. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the community sport facilities fund 2026 will open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16310/26]
View answerOver a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
In line with previous rounds of the Fund, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be published shortly. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
539. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the progress being made to address the extremely poor mobile phone reception across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16317/26]
View answer540. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 31 of 7 April 2025, to address the poor mobile phone reception in an area in County Kerry (details supplied); if a detailed progress report will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16318/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together.
Mobile network operators are continuously improving their network coverage across both rural and urban areas. However, I am aware that the quality of network coverage is not uniform across the country.
While the availability of mobile phone coverage is primarily a matter for mobile network operators, operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market, they are regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).
In the first instance, where customers are not receiving good coverage, they should contact the customer care team of their mobile phone operator to make a complaint regarding poor coverage and then follow their official complaint procedure. Complaints, if not resolved to the consumer's satisfaction, can then be escalated to ComReg.
It should be noted that ComReg completed a Multi-band Spectrum Award in January 2023 to assign long term rights of use in four spectrum bands to enable operators to provide improved services to meet increasing consumer demand for mobile services. These are referred to as the MBSA2 licences. These awards represented a 46% increase in the harmonised spectrum assigned for the provision of wireless broadband services, including 4G and 5G, in Ireland and included significant coverage obligations for operators.
Those licence obligations place a key focus on delivering improved coverage to population centres, such as places where people work and live, rather than solely focusing on geographical coverage. They also focus on improving network coverage of the national primary road network. Those obligations come into effect on an incremental basis 3, 5 and 7 years after the licences were first awarded in 2023.
In a ComReg report, “Mobile and Wireless Broadband licences: annual compliance report for the period July 2024 to June 2025”, published in January, the regulator states that according to each mobile network operator’s own assessments, each operator is currently meeting, or close to meeting, all elements of the 3-year outdoor mobile coverage obligations. It is expected that ComReg will conduct an assessment of operators’ compliance with their 3-year obligations under the MBSA2 licence this year.
Operators continue to add new capacity to their networks using both their newly acquired radio spectrum and by upgrading the radio technologies on their existing spectrum. The timing of the improvements delivered by mobile operators are influenced in part by their ability to acquire and build new sites for increased coverage.
While my Department has no role in developing site or county-specific strategies for mobile coverage improvements, the Department’s Digital Connectivity Strategy published in 2022 sets ambitious targets for fixed and mobile connectivity nationally. A refresh of this Strategy is currently being undertaken.
To assist consumers to choose the network provider that best meets their needs, ComReg continually updates and enhances its online national outdoor mobile coverage map at coveragemap.comreg.ie which provides information on mobile network operators’ outdoor coverage.
It is important to note that emergency 999/112 calls from mobile devices can use any available mobile network, even a network that the end user is not a customer of. This is known as limited-service state emergency calling and is typically identified on the user’s phone by a message “Emergency Calls Only” being displayed in place of the usual mobile network operator name.
541. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 381 of 12 February 2026, the timeline for the payment of the pension increase for An Post retired workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16329/26]
View answer543. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport in light of a negotiated pay increase of seven percent for An Post pensioners, and with all due diligence completed, the reason the payment has not yet been signed off on at Ministerial level; the timeline for when he intends to conclude this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16453/26]
View answer548. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when retired An Post Workers (details supplied) will receive their pension increase which was agreed with the CWU and to date has not been paid to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16648/26]
View answer554. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to confirm that retired An Post workers are due a pension increase, as this has been agreed but has not yet been delivered; when the increase will be given, if it will be backdated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16823/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 541, 543, 548 and 554 together.
Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post. The operation of the schemes is a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes.
In accordance with the Act and the relevant Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, An Post must seek Ministerial approval from both Ministers to increase pensions and deferred pensions for members of the An Post superannuation scheme. Section 2.13 of the Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies Superannuation and Remuneration annex sets out that NewERA advice should be sought in respect of pension amendment proposals, as is appropriate in their role as commercial and financial advisors to the Ministers.
On 23 October 2025, An Post wrote to my Department requesting consent for an increase to pensions in payment and deferred pensions, namely, to increase pensions in payment for members and deferred members of the An Post Superannuation Scheme by 6% per annum with effect from 1st January 2025 and 1% from 1 June 2025, arising from its agreements with employee representative groups. In line with both the Code of Practice for State Bodies and the relevant legislation, Ministerial consent has been granted and this was conveyed to An Post on 25 February 2026.
I hope you will appreciate that as the operation of the schemes is a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes, I cannot comment on when the approved increase will be received.
542. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department has reviewed the funding uptake in both rounds of the LSSIF in light of Covid restrictions and subsequent building inflation difficulties for applicants; and to provide a county-by-county breakdown of funds drawn down compared to funds awarded for both rounds, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16449/26]
View answerThe cumulative investment from the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund since 2020 is €297 million with €124 million allocated under the 2018 round and a further €173 million in November 2024.
In recognition of challenges faced by projects allocated funding under the first round of the Fund, including construction inflation, additional funding was allocated to many of these projects in 2023. Details of relevant allocations and payments are available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/campaigns/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/
A review of the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was published in April 2024. The review outlined the issues faced by LSSIF projects and provided recommendations in relation to a new round of LSSIF. The review is available of my Department’s website at, www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/services/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif-2018/#lssif-review-and-similar-access-requirement
With regard to the 2024 round of LSSIF, applicants were encouraged to assume a minimum 10% contingency for all projects. In addition, applicants were asked to account for construction inflation and use tender prices from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland Tender Price Index for inflation for the year of application and 7% for all years thereafter.
My officials continue to work closely with LSSIF grantees, and I am pleased to confirm that LSSIF projects are progressing at pace with a number of substantial projects such as Dexcom Stadium, Munster Centre of Excellence, Newcastlewest Athletics Hub, St Conleth’s GAA and Askeaton Swimming Pool now complete. A number of other LSSIF projects such as the RDS are due to be completed this year or to be significantly advanced.
544. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to list all schemes, funding programmes, capital funds, grant streams or other expenditure headings administered by his Department in 2025 and 2026 which result in allocations, awards, or spending that can be identified with a specific geographical location including county, district, town, or project site, to group these by funding stream or programme heading; to indicate, for each scheme, whether details of allocations or awards are published online; and if so, where such information may be accessed. [16546/26]
View answerMy Department was re-configured as the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport at the beginning of June 2025. Across its broad remit of responsibilities, my Department directly funds a wide range of programmes and projects, and administers a number of grant payments. A number of schemes, funding programmes, capital funds, grant streams and other expenditure headings administered for 2025 and 2026 to date for the current functions under the remit of my Department are set out below by relevant sector.
The Sectoral Investment Plan for Culture, Communications and Sport under the National Development Plan Review 2025 provides a provisional breakdown of capital allocations for my Department for 2026 to 2030, including priority projects and programmes across the country. More information is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/national-development-plan-review-2025-culture-communications-sport/.
The funding allocation for my Department’s Vote is set out in detail in the annual Revised Estimates for Public Services, available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/the-revised-estimates-volumes-for-the-public-service.
Details of all expenditure by my Department is contained in the Annual Appropriation Accounts which are published by the Comptroller and Auditor General and are available at the following link: www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/.
The Annual Appropriation Account for 2025 is in the process of being prepared by the Finance Unit of my Department and will be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General by the statutory deadline of 31 March 2026. It will then be audited by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the final version published by 30 September 2026.
In relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department, this is an operational matter for the bodies themselves.
Arts & Culture
A full list of all arts payments is published on my Departments website on an annual basis and can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/creative-arts-grants-and-funding-previous-schemes/
Grant payments in respect of the following schemes operated by my Department are published on my website and can be found at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/cultural-projects-funding/.
• the Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme,
• the Co-operation with Northern Ireland Scheme,
• the Small Scale Festivals and Summer School Scheme and
• the Mobility of Collections Scheme.
Culture Ireland
Culture Ireland operates a range of funding programmes to support and promote the presentation of Irish arts internationally. Current initiatives include a Regular grants round, the See Here scheme, Delegate Scheme and a Showcase programme, details of which can be found at the following link: www.cultureireland.ie/funding/.
Creative Ireland Programme
The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of-government, culture-based initiative, led by my Department. The strategic vision of the programme is to put creativity at the heart of public policy to allow every person in Ireland the opportunity to realise their creative potential. More information in relation to the Creative Ireland Programme can be found at the following link: www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/.
Communications
Digital Connectivity Office
The National Broadband Plan contract provides for a future proofed high-speed broadband network to be deployed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to people living and working in the intervention area. In parallel with the ongoing oversight of the contract with National Broadband Ireland, the Department’s Digital Connectivity Office developed the Local Authority Funding Scheme (LAFS) to assist Local Authorities and the Road Management Office (RMO) with the processing of NBI's licence applications in recognition of the scale of the project and demand on Local Authority resources.
The scheme commenced in quarter 3 of 2022 for three years, ending in quarter 3 of 2025. The funding distributed €2 million per year (€6 million total) among 31 Local Authorities and the RMO. Each Local Authority and the RMO submit a grant application form ahead of receipt of funding with a signed grant agreement to confirm the money will be put towards effective management of the processes for Section 254 licences, road opening licences, engineering issues, and/or campaigns and other activities relating to the rollout by NBI of the National Broadband Plan network.
Further information on the National Broadband Plan can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/national-broadband-plan/
Sport
Community Sports Facilities Fund and Sports Capital Programme
The Community Sports Facilities fund (CSFF) provides grants to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment. Grants are available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, NGBs, and local authorities. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards and schools may only apply for funding jointly with sports clubs or organisations. All CSFF and Sports Capital Programme payments are published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/sports-capital-programmes-payments/.
Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund
The Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established to provide support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the CSFF. Details of the LSSIF payments are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/services/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif-2018/.
545. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide the web link to his Department’s Q4 2025 published report of purchase orders/payments over €20,000, in line with the FOI model publication scheme requirements; the date on which this report was published; and if it has not yet been published, the planned publication date. [16564/26]
View answerThe Purchase Order report relating to payments for goods, services or works procured to a value greater than €20,000 for Q1 to Q3 2025 for my Department are available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/purchase-orders/#2025.
In line with obligations arising from the Public Service Reform in 2011, and under Section 8 of the FOI Act, 2014, these report are published quarterly in arrears. Accordingly, the report relating to Q4 2025 will be published shortly.
546. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to confirm, in respect of his Department’s published quarterly reports of procurement-related payments or purchase orders over €20,000 (details supplied), where such reports are published in PDF format but originate from an Excel or similar spreadsheet file, that the underlying data was fully expanded and validated prior to conversion so that all columns including supplier names and descriptions are fully visible and readable in the published document; to clarify whether any quality assurance process is applied to ensure that data is not truncated or partially obscured in the PDF version; and where the source file exists in machine-readable format, whether his Department will make the original Excel or CSV file available alongside the PDF in the interest of transparency, accessibility and data re-use. [16581/26]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the details of procurement related purchase orders for goods and services exceeding €20,000 are published in PDF format on my Department’s website at:
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/purchase-orders/#2025
These reports are published on a quarterly basis, in arrears, in line with standard practice, and in compliance with both the Freedom of Information Act, 2014, and the Open Data Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/1024). The data is clear and fully expanded and readable in the reports.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that the Data Officer in my Department has engaged with the Open Data Unit of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, with a view to creating a roadmap for publication of all suitable datasets in machine-readable formats, and in line with open data standards.
547. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the timeframe for the application portal to open for the sports capital grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16632/26]
View answerOver a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
In line with previous rounds of the Fund, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be finalised shortly. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026 which I expect to open in the coming months. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
