I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Football is one of Ireland's most popular sports and we as a Government are proud to back it at all levels, from grassroots clubs where our youngest players take their first kick to professional academies that will shape the next generation of our Irish international players. Football is a hugely popular sport in Carlow and I could take up my entire time slot here naming every football club in the county. The work our football clubs do within our community is extremely important. They bring our local communities together for social occasions and for physical activity. Any evening of the week, or any day or at the weekends we see children, young people and adults out training on football pitches across the county. I give particular mention to the football teams, both men's and ladies, at the South East Technological University, SETU. We are blessed to have such an amazing sporting facility in Carlow thanks to SETU. It is also wonderful that the young people in our communities are able to witness such high-quality football being played in our county in such fantastic facilities. We saw how much joy and excitement the Irish team brought to the country recently as they pushed for the World Cup qualification. Sadly, they did not make it but the whole country was behind them. I also mention our Irish women who won last night against Poland. We hope they can recreate their run to the World Cup. We all remember the excitement of seeing them play in the last World Cup in Australia. I hope as many people as possible turn out to support them this weekend in the Aviva Stadium. The Government's commitment to Irish football is reflected in the numbers. From 2020 to 2024, over €71 million was awarded to football-specific projects under the community sports facility fund. A further €52.4 million was directed to football under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, giving clubs across the country the modern, high-quality facilities they need and they deserve. A total of €6 million per year is provided to the Football Association of Ireland to support football development programmes at every level of the game. In budget 2026, the Government provided a landmark investment into the League of Ireland academies, providing multi-year funding to professionalise all 26 League of Ireland academies. This will create full-time coaching roles across the country to provide our most talented young players with the high-performance training they require to fulfil their potential. As the saying goes, "If you can't see it, you can't be it". This is why under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund the Government has ensured there will be equal access to funding and facilities for men and women. Our investment in grassroots girls' programmes, the FAI women's and girls' action plan, and the development of female coaches at all level of the game, reflects our belief that women's football must be supported as a priority. Football is more than just an elite level sport. As a Minister of State with responsibility for public health and well-being, there is a lot of great work going on in my Department to promote physical activity throughout the country. Under our walking tracks fund, €400,000 was provided to football clubs last year to develop walking tracks in the clubs' grounds to make facilities as accessible as possible for the whole community. Healthy Ireland also provides funding each year to promote physical activity. This includes park runs, which are huge successes and which continue to go from strength, and the active schools' flag programme. Funding is also provided to promote walking football, which I know is a valuable outlet for so many of our older adults who still love the game and want to stay active. I thank the Minister of State for his commitment. He has been visiting a lot of clubs around the country. It is hoped the grant scheme will be ready. The Minister of State is committed to providing the supports needed to ensure that we have top-class facilities throughout Ireland. It is so important. Everybody's health and well-being is so important. Being active and seeing communities involved in so much sport gives exceptional benefits.

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