Fianna Fail city councillor Peter Keane has called on the Galway City Council to make multiple applications for funding under the recently announced Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund.
The initiative was announced recently by the Department of Transport, Tourism, and Sport with deadline for receipt of applications of April 17 2019. The aim of the fund is to provide exchequer support for larger sports facilities projects, where the investment required is greater than the maximum available under the Sports Capital Programme. Cllr Keane confirmed there is a fund of €100 million set aside for this scheme nationally for the period 2018 – 2027.
Cllr Keane is calling on City Hall to apply for projects such as the Kingston, Millars Lane, and South Park developments where masterplans have already been adopted. Fianna Fail city councillors recently proposed a floodlighting fund be established by City Hall to floodlight existing public facilities such as Westside Sports Facility, Cappagh Park in Knocknacarra, and the public facilities at Doughiska.
“There is little point investing vast sums of taxpayers’ money in both passive and sporting recreational facilities if these facilities are not available to the public after the hours of darkness,” said Cllr Keane. “We must be cognisant of the social dividend we are obliged to provide and look to increase active participation in sport particularly amongst our younger communities. The provision of first class sporting facilities meets that aim.”
