Sports infrastructure debate
Senator Richmond called for the Minister of State for transport to come to the House to discuss sports capital grants and wider sports infrastructure, including the need to improve facilities.
I call on the Leader to ask that the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Griffin to come to the House. I made a similar call before Christmas with a view to discussing the sports capital grants. I believe a further debate on sports infrastructure on this island is required, both to provide for a healthy island but also to ensure that our tourist offering and our economic offering tied to sports is of the highest possible standard. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the constituency I have most familiarity with, we still have a national hockey stadium with an AstroTurf pitch which is not up to international standards due to a stand-off. University College Dublin has had to rely on private money to bring its athletics track up to scratch. There is a litany of such issues, including swimming pools which have not been opened or are lying idle. We need a frank and fair discussion about this matter, and I call on the leader to invite Minister of State, Deputy Griffin here as soon as possible.