Sports Funding
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-07
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Paul McAuliffe (FF), Dublin North-West

I welcome what the Minister of State is saying. When the sports capital grant opens, it is almost too late to start to bring together parties in that way. That is why the city council has such an opportunity to lead on this. I am looking at a park like Albert College, for example. Many soccer clubs but also GAA clubs really need somebody to bring them together and to put that package together on city council land in a park. I am thinking of clubs like Glasnevin FC, which really wants an all-weather facility in Albert College. There are other parks like Johnstown Park or Poppintree Park in my area that could do with all-weather facilities. We know these pitches are used widely at the moment but the wet weather that we have often reduces the amount of usage that they get. Our public parks are for everybody and we do not want to see public parks losing space, but a well co-ordinated plan and better co-ordination with the Department of heritage about brent geese needs to happen. I ask the Minister of State to reach out to Dublin City Council and ask it what its intention is this year, because I am fearful that it will not be substantial or ambitious enough.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-07