Sports Funding
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-20
============================================================

Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF), Louth

We all know the importance of sports capital for sporting organisations across the State. We are talking about this opening at the end of summer 2026. I thought it would be quarter 1 but once we have a date, sports clubs can work around it.
I agree with what has been said. There needs to be added effort in facilitating local authorities to provide municipal pitches and sporting settings in some cases, which can allow for a whole pile of other sports.
On the large-scale sports infrastructure funding, what is the timeline for that? I think we were talking about it being opened every two years. I have spoken to the Minister of State before about Louth GAA and its belief that it is on the reserve list. I suppose it is a matter of the works that are being done at the minute, not very far from my own home, continuing. Drogheda United FC was also on a reserve list. I would like to think that Dundalk FC could be in at the time it would be open. Anyone who has been to Oriel Park knows it needs a lot of work done, as happy as we are to be back in the premiership.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-20/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-20