Dublin, November 5: The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., and the Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne T.D., announced yesterday the second round of funding allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). This follows the first LSSIF round of allocations announced in January 2020.
The total amount of grants awarded is €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects. With this announcement, the cumulative investment from the LSSIF since 2020 now reaches €297 million
Included within the projects that received funding is the construction of an FIH certified hockey pitch in Kinvara Hockey Club in Galway, a hockey pitch as part of the development of the Cavan Regional Sports Campus, and a hockey pitch as part of the development of the Eas Coast Hub, Gorey.
All applications submitted under the LSSIF Fund were required to have the prioritised endorsement of a National Governing Body for Sport (NGB) or a Local Authority. This prioritisation was one of a number of factors taken into account in the assessment and ultimate ranking of projects. It was informed by factors such as the potential to enhance sports participation, sustainability, similar access for both men and women, and the ability to execute the project within a specified timeframe.
Speaking on the announcement, Chair of Kinvara Hockey Club Fiona Rodgers remarked:
“It’s a game changer for us, the club, the community and for Connacht. It makes what we had hoped to do so much more tangible.
“We’re traveling 180km for games and 60 kms for training, so to be able to walk to the pitch for the first time will be incredible.”
“Our Club was founded 44 years ago, exactly to the day, yesterday, by local women who were forward thinking for their time. I think of these founding members of the Club now and how we have decades ahead of us thanks to this announcement.”
Speaking at the announcement, Minister Byrne said:
“The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund emphasises the significance of collaboration among government entities, local authorities, and national governing bodies in enhancing sports infrastructure. Through cooperative efforts, these organisations can ensure that funding is allocated to projects that will most effectively promote sports participation and community development.
Inclusivity in sports is paramount and thanks to the implementation of the new Similar Access Requirement, we have ensured that women and men will enjoy similar access to all sports facilities, which are publicly funded.”
For the full list of projects included in the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund 2024, visit https://www.gov.ie/.