140. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, LSSIF, is likely to open for applications. [16500/26]
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I will try to be shorter than the allotted time, if possible. I ask the Minister of State when the next LSSIF is likely to open for applications.
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I thank the Minister of State for his response in respect of the LSSIF. He has outlined the statistics, including the number of applications, the number of projects and so on. Receiving up to €500,000 in public money is significant for projects. As the Minister of State said, it has allowed a large number of projects to progress. We are at the implementation phase of the previous rounds. That is all positive. I do not have to tell the Minister of State the importance of sport. It is critical. It provides a positive outlet for many people of all ages. It not only helps physical health but also mental health. That is being recognised increasingly. Sport helps to build bridges and improves diversity among our communities, which is critical. It helps to build lifelong friendships and bonds. It is critical to the self-development of young people. I know all of us in the House agree with that. The LSSIF has, as the Minister of State said, a specific target. Very often, applications are made through local authorities, NGOs and so on. I will come back in shortly.
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As the Minister of State knows, many large projects are moving towards a multi-use and partnership model. In my hometown of Carrigaline, County Cork, there is one such project in the pipeline involving a number of different clubs. The local rugby, athletics and basketball clubs are involved, along with Owenabue Special Olympics Sports Club. There will also potentially be a swimming element. This type of partnership approach is critical. I will make one additional point. We are now about to zone a lot of additional land across the country for housing, as is necessary to meet housing need. However, we must also invest in communities. Over many years, we have seen examples where we built houses but did not provide the social infrastructure or the leisure or recreational facilities. We certainly cannot repeat those mistakes. The sports capital grants and the LSSIF are important in that respect. Carrigaline is a prime example. It is a town that has grown significantly in recent years but that growth has not been matched with infrastructure and investment. This presents us with a golden opportunity and I ask the Minister of State to ensure we take that opportunity and build communities as well as housing.
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