I'm delighted to learn today that Carlow Kilkenny will share in €10 million funding delivered under the latest round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. A record-breaking €250m was announced today by my Green Party colleague, Minister for Sport Catherine Martin, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities across the country and a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022 under the 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.
The sheer scale of this round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme should mean that all valid applications received have resulted in positive allocation decisions. Across Carlow Kilkenny that means 80 clubs, teams, schools and local authority facilities are getting very good news, with individual grants ranging from a couple of thousand euro for equipment upgrades right up to half a million euro for all an weather pitch in Carlow and €365,000 for a GAA centre of excellence in Carlow. This follows on from the 39 clubs that received their equipment-only grants back in May.
This is a win for sporting organisations across our two counties, and for their members, athletes and volunteers. As a Government we committed to 60% overall participation in sport by 2027 and funding levels on this scale can only help to bring us closer to that goal. Following on from Ireland’s incredible success at the Olympics, the announcement is a significant demonstration of this Government’s commitment to the sports sector, and with this particular round offering larger grants, encouraging sustainability initiatives, and levelling the playing field with a focus on gender equality, it’s a reminder of the important role that sport plays in society and the wider community.
Sports clubs have always been at the heart of our communities, and anything that helps them keep providing the space and the opportunity for people to come together and participate in healthy activities and share in the success of a local team or a local athlete has to be welcomed. Last July I wrote to clubs across Carlow and Kilkenny to encourage them to apply for this really key funding stream, and today I want to congratulate all the clubs that have been successful in their applications. You can read a full list of the successful applicants in Kilkenny here and in Carlow here.
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