Over €77m Allocated to Major Sports Projects Across the Country

Shane Ross T.D., Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and Brendan Griffin T.D. Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, today ( 10 January 2020) announced the first set of allocations under the new Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The grants total €77.4 million with 25 individual projects benefitting.

The successful applicants were decided following a rigorous assessment process with the highest scoring applications receiving grant offers. All applications under the fund had to be supported by a National Governing Body for Sport (NGB) or a Local Authority. The priority given to projects by the relevant NGB(s) or local authority was one of the key determinants of the assessment score along with factors such as the likelihood of increasing sport participation, how the proposed project would improve high performance and whether the proposed development would benefit spectators.

Commenting on the announcement Minister Ross said: “The establishment of the LSSIF confirmed the commitment expressed in the National Development Plan and the National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027 to increase investment in sporting facilities across the State. Before the establishment of the LSSIF, Government funding for large sports projects was decided on an ad-hoc basis. The fund provides a robust and transparent mechanism for the allocation of funding to develop the best high quality sports facilities across all regions.”

Minister Griffin said “This is a very good day for Irish sport. Our priority remains to get as many people participating in sport as possible. The successful projects announced today include a mix of sports stadia which will be graced by our elite athletes but also swimming pools and other sports facilities which will be used by all ages and abilities. Of course, seeing their sporting heroes competing at iconic venues also inspires young people to participate in sport”.

While the Government is investing €77m the full cost of all projects will be in the region of €221m. A full list of the successful applications is attached.

All of these projects will now undergo further assessment and a due diligence procedure under the evaluation procedures for the LSSIF. The extent and nature of the validation and due diligence process will vary depending on the size and nature of a project to include a detailed analysis of the Financial and Economic Appraisal of the project as appropriate.

While today’s announcement relates to those projects that applied for funding for construction of facilities, a further announcement will be made in the near future in respect of Stream 1 applications. These applications were for grants towards the cost of developing projects to the point that an application for delivery phase funding can be submitted in the future.

Additional Information

The National Sports Policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount (€300,000) available under the Sports Capital Programme (SCP). Project Ireland 2040, the National Development Plan (NDP) provides at least €100 million for the LSSIF from 2019 to 2027.

The LSSIF supports investment in Sporting Infrastructure that will reinforce the principles outlined in the Department’s National Sports Policy by

• Increasing and improving the quality of active participation in sport

• Increasing and improving the quality of social participation in sport

• Improving High Performance in sport

• Increasing Active Participation in sport by people with a disability.

There are two streams of funding within the grant scheme –

STREAM ONE concerns assistance in the development of detailed plans and cost effective analysis for a proposed project. 38 applications were received for this type of funding. The announcement of these grants is expected in the very near future.

STREAM TWO provides assistance for the construction or delivery of a project. 34 applications were received for this type of funding and the grants announced today relate to these projects.

The full terms and conditions of the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund are available at

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/4113b3-large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/

Applications from the FAI

A number of applications for funding were received from the FAI. In accordance with previous correspondence with the Association, these applications were assessed in the normal way. One of the projects (Munster Centre of Excellence, Glanmire) achieved a sufficiently high score at assessment stage to merit a provisional grant allocation. If the project advances, it remains the position that no payments will be made until the Department is satisfied that all issues of concern around financial management and corporate governance at the Association have been resolved. The appointment of the Independent Chairman and Directors to the Board on 8 January 2020 is a significant step forward in this regard.