Paul Murphy
Question:138. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps he will take to protect Dublin’s nighttime culture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16811/26]
View answerCulture Policy
Questions (138)
Written answers
The Night-Time Economy is a cross-government policy initiative, which aims to support the economic growth and cultural vibrancy in our towns and cities after 6pm. In line with the Programme for Government commitment, I have allocated €3 million this year - a 20% increase on 2025 - to support the development of the Night-Time Economy in Ireland and the further delivery of the actions recommended by the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.
The €3 million in allocation will support nine Night-Time Economy Advisors in Dublin City, Cork City, Limerick City, Galway City, Kilkenny, Drogheda, Sligo, Longford and Buncrana. The Night-Time Advisor for Dublin City has been working closely with businesses, communities, venues, residents and artists to create a more vibrant nightlife for all in a safe and sustainable way. The pilot in Dublin city has already yielded a huge range of positive outcomes, particularly in the area of safety at night and the development of a culturally vibrant city. The Advisor is also a critical hub, as many of the issues arising across the Night-Time Economy sector require a multi-stakeholder approach.
In 2025, my Department provided just over €209,000 in funding towards both these salary costs and initiatives relating to the roll out of the Dublin City Night-Time Economy action plan. This included support for Culture Night Late, Brigit Late, St Patrick’s Festival After Dark, ‘Dublin Nights Mapped’, which showcases the range of activities after 6pm and a safety campaign which includes free online vulnerability and safeguard training for venues and businesses at night.
Also, last year I launched a new Scheme with an allocation of €500,000 to help protect and sustain grassroots music venues in Ireland. These are key cultural hubs that provide space for emerging musicians to showcase their talent, gain valuable experience and connections, and develop their following. 34 venues received funding through this, which included 8 venues in Dublin, totalling €90,000.
I have allocated €1 million this year towards a second iteration of this Scheme. Supporting our grassroots venues ensures that the next generation of Irish artists have an opportunity to develop their careers here in Ireland. I’ll be launching this scheme in the coming days.
Finally, my Department is an active member of the Inter-Departmental Group on the Dublin City Taskforce Report, which is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach which aims to revitalise the city centre, including around the GPO which is my ownership.
Questions Nos. 139 to 145, inclusive, answered orally.
Middle East
Questions (146)
Paul Murphy
Question:146. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he welcomes the upcoming matches between the Irish football team and the Israel national football team, in light of Israel’s commission of the crime of genocide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16814/26]
View answerWritten answers
National 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, whether in domestic or international competitions. The Government and Sport Ireland have no role in determining or supporting the organisation of such fixtures.
The FAI is completely within its rights to fulfil these upcoming UEFA fixtures and I note its intention to fulfil both fixtures against Israel in September and October. I support the FAI decision in this regard 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.
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 has also briefed Minister O'Donovan and me on this matter and I understand that it will be engaging with the Norwegian Football Association to learn from its hosting of a match against Israel last year.
I understand that the FAI is also continue to engage with An Garda Síochána to ensure appropriate preparation for, and policing of, the home leg of the fixture.
Sports Organisations
Questions (147)
Thomas Gould
Question:147. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether he is aware of issues with the lack of a national governing body for darts; and the actions he has taken to resolve this. [16725/26]
View answerWritten answers
Sport Ireland, which is funded by this Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding under its various programmes. Sport Ireland does not provide direct funding for clubs or individuals but channels the funding through the relevant National Governing Body (NGB).
Sport Ireland operates a formal recognition process for organisations wishing to become eligible for support as NGBs. Its recognition criteria set out the minimum requirements for NGB recognition and the additional criteria that may need to be met to receive financial investment from Sport Ireland. There is no alternative mechanism for organisations to seek NGB recognition or support from Sport Ireland outside of this process.
In recent years, Sport Ireland has received correspondence from a NGB for darts regarding its NGB recognition process. Sport Ireland has outlined the formal recognition process in place to the organisation and met with it in September 2024 to further discuss the process. Sport Ireland most recently engaged with the organisation in December 2025 in relation to this formal recognition process. To date the organisation has not made a formal application to Sport Ireland for NGB recognition.
In the absence of a Sport Ireland-recognised NGB for darts, there is at present no mechanism by which darts organisations, clubs or players can secure funding from Sport Ireland. I would therefore encourage the organisation in question to continue its engagement with Sport Ireland and, ultimately, to make a formal application for recognition.
Sports Facilities
Questions (148)
Peter Roche
Question:148. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has considered establishing a support or grant mechanism to assist community organisations and voluntary groups with the cost of relocating telecommunications or broadband infrastructure, including poles and overhead lines, where such infrastructure is preventing community or publicly funded development projects from proceeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16801/26]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise you that this issue is outside the remit of my Department. The siting, safety and maintenance, and removal, of telecommunications poles, or other infrastructure including wires, is primarily a matter for the telecoms operators, operating in a fully liberalised and competitive market. My Department is not considering grant mechanism as outlined in the question. Nor would this be appropriate as the infrastructure is in the ownership of the relevant operators.
The relevant planning permissions or requirements for the siting of telecommunications infrastructure are a matter for the local authority, under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I have no role or statutory authority to intervene in the matter.
My Department works closely with the planning authorities to ensure there is sufficient capacity made available to operators to process permits on a timely basis, where permitting is necessary for the development of telecommunications infrastructure. The Department hosts meetings with representatives from all local authorities, on a twice yearly basis, to ensure the processes for permitting are working well and identify whether issues affecting the sector have arisen. This forum was put in place in 2021 and has since proven to be a very effective forum for tracking the performance of each local authority in the issuing of permits, sharing best practice and general information sharing.
In addition, Broadband Officers have been appointed to every local authority to ensure that there is sufficient emphasis provided to the advancement of digital connectivity and digital services, while in tandem considering the different circumstances that exist locally. The role of the Broadband Officer is to provide a local point of contact for telecoms operators and the public regarding telecoms issues. The Broadband Officer function has been successful in championing the specific needs of the local community and the relevant officer may be able to provide local advice to the Deputy in relation to specific issues regarding the deployment of Broadband.
Sports Facilities
Questions (149)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:149. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he has received any applications or requests to any section of his Department, or State body under his aegis, for funding or financial collaboration from private investors with regard to an ice hockey arena in Cherrywood, County Dublin; if so, to provide full details, including amount of public funds being sought; whether the Government or State bodies are considering, or have agreed to any request; whether there has been any public/stakeholder consultation on any such proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9118/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 196 together.
A business case has been submitted to my Department regarding the proposed development of an ice hockey and winter sports arena in Cherrywood, Dublin. The facility would feature two Olympic sized ice rinks and serve as a permanent home for Irish ice sports. The arena’s multi-purpose design would also facilitate the hosting of a variety of events such as concerts, conferences and exhibitions.
While the project promoters, Prime Arena Holdings, have secured private funding for the majority of the project cost, they are also seeking sizable State investment. Minister O’Donovan and I, with officials, have met them to receive a detailed presentation on the proposal. I understand that the promoters have also engaged with a number of other Government colleagues and State Agencies.
My Department is finalising its assessment of the proposed project, with a specific focus on the sporting benefits arising. The project also has a range of other potential benefits, including for the tourism, business and events sectors, and any decision regarding a significant State investment in the project would ultimately be a matter for the Government as a whole based on detailed engagement and consideration by a range of other departments and agencies.
There is no permanent ice rink in the State and the project proposal envisages that one rink would be used by a professional ice hockey franchise while the second would be publicly available on a year-round basis and could serve as a national centre for clubs, athletes and National Governing Bodies from a range of ice sports such as ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating and curling. The promoters are proposing that that this public rink could be operated by or in conjunction with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in collaboration with the various ice sport National Governing Bodies. The Olympic Federation of Ireland has publicly welcomed the proposal as a key step in providing for winter sports in Ireland.
Sport Ireland has previously given consideration to the inclusion of an ice rink facility as part of its ongoing campus development and commissioned a feasibility study in this regard. The study was completed in 2021 and Sport Ireland has concluded that the development of an ice rink on the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown is not a priority in the near future given the scale of other projects under development. These projects include the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre which is under construction at present, and the National Cricket Stadium which I would expect to see underway next year.
Question No. 150 answered orally with Question No. 141.
Sports Funding
Questions (151)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:151. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the total value of grants awarded under the Community Sport Facilities Fund to clubs in County Meath in 2024 and 2025; if his Department has identified specific "under-invested" regions for the 2026 funding round; the steps being taken to ensure that grassroots rural clubs are not disadvantaged by complex application processes compared to larger urban entities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16842/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country.
Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland. Over €13 million was allocated to 143 sporting projects in Meath from the 2023 round.
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. My department is aiming to announce the opening of applications in the first half of this year.
The Department is currently collating feedback from sporting clubs and organisations which provides valuable input to our ongoing preparations for the next round. New guidelines will be published in advance of the opening of the next round which will include eligibility and likely assessment criteria for the next round. My aim is to have as many eligible sporting bodies as possible applying, by simplifying the application process and guide and carrying out a wide-reaching communications and engagement campaign.