1580. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will provide an update on his engagement with the FAI about long term planning to ensure the sustainability of the League of Ireland, including the upgrading of stadiums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59643/26]

The Government’s current funding support for the development of football is channelled, via Sport Ireland, to the Football Association of Ireland, the FAI.

The State has allocated approximately €80 million in current funding to the FAI between 2019 and 2025 to support football development and grow participation. The bulk of this funding goes towards the FAI’s Youth Field Sports grants, which are aimed at encouraging and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in football through coaching and games development supports at local level.

As part of Budget 2026, I was pleased to announce first year funding of €3 million as part of a multi-annual allocation to support the development of a modern and professional soccer academy system that will provide the structures and pathways required to support future generations of Irish players, male and female. This builds on the additional funding of €1 million provided by my Department to the FAI in 2024 which enabled it to produce a detailed report on the League of Ireland academies system.

My Department also operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

The CSFF is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The fund aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and assists the purchase of non-personal sports equipment.

Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.

Under the most recent, 2023, round of the CSFF, over €50 million was allocated to 536 soccer projects. This funding has facilitated improvements in the quality and quantity of soccer facilities right across the country.

In line with previous rounds of the Fund, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be finalised shortly. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026, which I expect to open soon. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.

Of the total €297 million allocated under the Large-Scale Infrastructure Fund to date under the 2018 and 2024 rounds, €96,029,774 was awarded to soccer projects that are either directly sponsored by the FAI or projects that incorporate soccer elements.

This includes significant capital funding which has been granted to football projects around the country in recent years. Under the LSSIF, €48.9 million has been allocated to stadium development projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford FC.

The Government is committed to supporting the development of Ireland’s sporting ecosystem and the support that continues to be provided for football is a clear illustration of that commitment in action.