Thomas Gould
Question:23. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the funding available to offset the cost of facilitating summer camps in sporting clubs. [31947/26]
View answerThursday, 7 May 2026
Questions (23)
Written answers
Sport Ireland, which is funded by my 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 across its various programmes. Sport Ireland does not engage directly with sports clubs or community groups; instead, its interactions are with National Governing Bodies of sport and Local Sports Partnerships.
The National Governing Bodies of Sport, or NGBs, are independent, autonomous bodies, responsible for their own governance and operational procedures, including the organisation of summer camps and player/athlete development. Sport Ireland provides direct, regular, financial support to 100 sports organisations including 65 NGBs, 10 other funded bodies, and 29 Local Sports Partnerships, or LSPs. Sport Ireland encourages direct engagement between clubs and the NGBs and LSPs to explore, inter alia, potential avenues of support and collaboration, including for summer camps.
My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund, or CSFF, and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, or LSSIF. Sporting organisations can apply directly for CSFF funding while applications to the LSSIF must be made through either a NGB or a local authority.
As Minister for Sport, I recognise the importance of sport and physical activity for the health and wellbeing of our society. Through participating in sports, young people learn to be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit. They acquire new skills, increase confidence, and most importantly, they get to experience the joy of sport and make life-long friendships.
This Government is committed to ensuring that Irish sport is inclusive and that we have the facilities to enable as many people as possible to participate.