Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 January 2026
72. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of publicly funded athletics tracks and all-weather running facilities currently available, by county; and the level of capital investment provided for their maintenance and development in each of the past five years. [2627/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not maintain lists of sporting facilities, whether publicly or otherwise funded, and it is a matter for individual national governing bodies of sport, in this case Athletics Ireland, to maintain such lists.
However, Sport Ireland's Get Ireland Active database, launched in October 2023, represents the first phase of a comprehensive national database of sports facilities. The database currently consists of more than 15,000 opportunities to be active across the country, including sports and recreation facilities. The database is currently undergoing further development and once complete, Sport Ireland intends to launch a promotional campaign to raise awareness of Get Ireland Active and the benefits that it can offer.
The Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF), both of which can support athletics track projects.
The most recent two rounds of the CSFF were in 2020 and 2023. Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 under the 2023 round of the 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 is being undertaken. 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.
Details of all CSFF allocations are available on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/sports-capital-programme-allocations/.
€9,571,472 has been allocated to 169 athletics projects since 2020 under CSFF. The following is a breakdown per county:
|
County |
No of Projects |
Amount Allocated |
|
Carlow |
3 |
€197,172 |
|
Cavan |
5 |
€138,783 |
|
Clare |
6 |
€111,986 |
|
Cork |
14 |
€1,594,077 |
|
Donegal |
6 |
€797,010 |
|
Dublin |
8 |
€828,711 |
|
Galway |
7 |
€370,222 |
|
Kerry |
12 |
€912,185 |
|
Kildare |
10 |
€430,456 |
|
Kilkenny |
6 |
€137,913 |
|
Laois |
1 |
€4,258 |
|
Limerick |
5 |
€116,675 |
|
Longford |
1 |
€300,000 |
|
Louth |
7 |
€359,515 |
|
Mayo |
6 |
€348,207 |
|
Meath |
18 |
€1,001,937 |
|
Monaghan |
2 |
€17,988 |
|
Offaly |
6 |
€436,060 |
|
Roscommon |
4 |
€66,446 |
|
Sligo |
8 |
€182,226 |
|
Tipperary |
12 |
€591,324 |
|
Waterford |
6 |
€60,599 |
|
Westmeath |
4 |
€116,609 |
|
Wexford |
8 |
€264,841 |
|
Wicklow |
4 |
€186,272 |
|
Grand Total |
169 |
€9,571,472 |
The LSSIF was established to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects. These are projects where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the CSFF. The cumulative investment from the two rounds of the Fund to date, 2018 and 2024, totals €297 million.
The table below provides details of funding allocated to athletics tracks under the most recent round of the Fund in 2024.
LSSIF 2024
|
Carhookeal Athletics Track Mallow |
€2,000,000 |
Cork |
Construction of an athletics running track to IAAF standards, to include a car park, floodlighting, and street lighting. |
|
Morton Stadium - The National Athletics Stadium (Phase II Development) |
€7,000,000 |
Dublin |
Development of a new indoor Athletes Training Facility - new overall building incorporating a full indoor 8 lane 100 metre track, high-jump area and high-performance gymnasium. |
|
Trim Arena (Indoor Athletics Facility) |
€1,100,000 |
Meath |
Construction of an indoor athletics facility in Trim. |
|
ATU Letterkenny Regional Sports Activity Hub |
€8,700,000 |
Donegal |
Development of a modern multi-pitch regional sports complex including recreation area with sprint track. |
|
Shannonside Regional Recreational Campus (Leitrim) |
€3,300,000 |
Leitrim |
Includes an 8-lane 400m 1AA athletics tartan track with an internal grass pitch with completion of a full-size multi-sport 4G pitch with floodlights and dressing rooms. |
Other LSSIF-funded projects will support athletics activities. Details of all allocations to athletics tracks under the LSSIF, covering both 2018 and 2024 rounds, can be accessed on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/campaigns/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/.
