St. Peter's GAA is a juvenile amalgamation of three Gaelic football clubs in rural north County Dublin, namely, Clann Mhuire, Ballyboughal and Garristown. All three clubs have a rich and deep tradition of football. When the players reach minor level, they go back to their home GAA clubs to continue playing at a very high level. St. Peter's GAA is going from strength to strength, but with changing weather patterns it has become apparent the current facilities are not fit for purpose. They are not available when the local juvenile teams need them and the local availability is very limited. This year alone St. Peter's GAA has had to contend with frequent pitch closures and cancelled training sessions. It is very difficult for the club to provide consistent, safe and structured training for the children and young people. There is a clear need for a community all-weather facility serving the communities of Naul, Garristown and Ballyboughal.

I recently met representatives of St. Peter's GAA on their proposal to develop a multisport community facility for all three communities. They have identified council-owned land ideally located between Ballyboughal and Naul. They have also developed a concept and plans contained in the document I am holding, which is really well-developed. Stage 1 of the proposal is to develop a car park and all-weather pitch at an estimated cost of €2.5 million. This is a very reasonable cost when you consider the huge benefit of the facility to the three communities and the kids of St. Peter's. All three GAA clubs are committed to the development of this multisport community facility and there is huge support for it locally. The children and young people of Ballyboughal, Naul and Garristown deserve excellent sporting and community facilities. I am fully behind this development and will do everything in my power to deliver it for the communities.

When discussing this development we also need to look at the concept of the third space. The third space is a social environment separate to the two primary spaces in people's lives, which are their home and work or school environments. It allows people to connect, relax and build community. There are many important friendships and learning environments people need to have access to in order to exchange ideas and decompress. These are very important to keep community cohesion, but in rural communities third spaces can often be lacking. This multisport community facility proposed by St. Peter's fills this role in these communities. It will bring three thriving rural communities together and ensure all in the community have access to a place to gather and form bonds. All three communities have grown in population in recent years and are set to grow further. I would like a debate with the Minister of State with special responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, on the provision of sporting facilities for rural communities and their importance in community development, community cohesion, belonging and collective action.