311. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there is a deadline or timeline for the drawdown of funds awarded in the 2024 large scale sports infrastructure round of funding; if there are time-specific key performance indicators that must be met; if there is a cutoff date by which the funds must be drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46693/26]

The Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established under the National Sports Policy to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF).

A “use it or lose it” clause was introduced in the 2024 round which stipulates that if there has been no drawdown of any part of a grant within 2-3 years (timelines can vary from project to project), or before a new LSSIF round is announced, the grant offer may be deemed withdrawn with projects dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Grants totaling €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects, were allocated under the second round of the LSSIF in late 2024. The cumulative investment from the LSSIF now reaches €297 million.

With regard to a future round of the LSSIF, I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide. The Programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels.

My current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF, 2018 and 2024, and this process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of a future round.