Large-scale sports infrastructure
Deputy O’Meara congratulated Tipperary’s under-20 hurlers and raised major sports infrastructure funding. After some light interjections, the Minister praised the result and said the Government remains committed to smaller grants and will decide larger projects at budget time.
I will begin by congratulating the Tipperary under-20 hurlers on their victory over Clare in Limerick yesterday evening. I congratulate Brendan Cummins and his management team, Sam O’Farrell, the captain, and Paddy McCormack, the vice captain, on lifting the J.J. Kenneally cup. I am one of a number of Fianna Fáil TDs who represent Kilkenny. I believe the Leas-Cheann Comhairle would expect nothing less of me than to wish Kilkenny the best of luck next Wednesday against Dublin. We can cross that bridge when we come to it if we get to an all-Ireland together.
The large-scale infrastructure sport fund was announced last November prior to my election to the Dáil. Tipperary GAA applied for a multisport complex on the TUS campus in Thurles in conjunction with Tennis Ireland and Tipperary County Council. That application was unsuccessful, as was the application for funding to redevelop the Kinane Stand in Semple Stadium. Will there be a more sizeable large-scale infrastructure sport fund next time around? It is really needed. It was hard on the people of Tipperary and our sporting organisations not to receive funding last time when so many other counties did.
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I can report to the Minister that details of so many games were replayed here in the Dáil during the week, it was like Croke Park at one stage.
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I acknowledge and commend our colleague from Louth for the fantastic result at the weekend in what was a fantastic game.
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If I mentioned other counties, we could be here all day. I acknowledge the importance of the large-scale infrastructure grant and the contribution it has made to sport across our country. There is a very clear commitment in the programme for Government to make sure we continue to invest in smaller scale projects via the sports capital grant. Obviously, any decision on a larger scale would have to be agreed between the Minister for sport and the Minister for public expenditure at budget time. Of course, we all want to see continued investment in those larger projects, particularly where different groups and organisations can come together and use the same facility. That is something we have been promoting over the years.