I thank the Minister for sport, Deputy O'Donovan, for coming to Crumlin last week. This is not just a "thank you" to him; it is also an acknowledgement that in 14 or 15 years living in Crumlin, I do not remember previously seeing a Minister for sports around those parts. I am very grateful he came out at my request last week. It is really important that the voices of sportspeople in Crumlin and Drimnagh are heard. As I mentioned previously in this Chamber, the biggest issue in regard to sport in the area concerns playing pitches and access to sporting facilities. It is something the local authority is targeting and working on but there also needs to be some focus on it from local enterprises and other groups. I am glad to be a voice for the issue in the area.

The Minister visited the Iveagh Grounds in Crumlin, which was bought by Trinity College from Diageo in 2017. It is a 17-acre site with a full-sized GAA pitch, access to a former hockey pitch that is to be regenerated, rugby, soccer, lawn bowls, athletics facilities and more. It is an enormous site but it is not really reaching its potential at the moment. Trinity College plans to redevelop it and I welcome the college's engagement with me over the past four or five months. I also welcome that one of the things the Minister said during his visit was that the local authority will have a role to play in this. That is really important because although this is privately owned land, it has served the community going way back to the Guinness workers in the 1920s. There is an emotional tie to this land and it is very important that the local authority understands it is an exciting project on which it can partner. The same goes for the Dublin county board in regard to the handball alley on the site, which is a protected structure.

This is an exciting project and something to celebrate for Crumlin. I thank the Minister for visiting. It is really important that Ministers are visible in these areas. Sport is a huge part of life in Crumlin. This is the first time I can remember a sports Minister going out there. I thank him very much for doing so.