More than €190,000 has been allocated for sport and physical activity projects in Galway from the Dormant Account Fund.
The investment includes funding of almost €22,000 for Ballybane Doughiska Community Sports Hub, which provides a base for local clubs and sports organisations.
A total of €95,000 has also been allocated for Galway under the Sport Ireland Active Cities programme, and €45,000 for Urban Outdoor Adventure Hubs, which aim to develop outdoor areas for sport and physical activity.
The investment was welcomed by local Fine Gael TD, Minister Hildegarde Naughton, who said the importance of sports and physical activity had been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“During a most difficult time for individuals and families, the importance of sport and healthy activity to people’s mental and physical wellbeing was never so clear,” she said.
“It is fitting that we would now seek to reward and support the organisations that helped so much to get people through the challenges of the past 18 months by investing in sports facilities and organisations.”
The latest funding includes €15,000 for the Volunteer and Support Programme, and another €15,000 for Sports Inclusion Disability Programme Capital Supports, which aims to remove barriers to participation for people with disabilities.
The investment is part of a €5.9 million investment by Sport Ireland in sport and physical activity measures under the Dormant Accounts Fund. It aims to engage communities across the country with a particular focus on people with disabilities.
“Sport and physical activity were a safe haven for so many during restrictions in the darkest days of the pandemic. This served as a reminder, if one were needed, of their importance to our mental and physical health, and the crucial role that they play in our communities,” added Minister Naughton.
“As outdoor activity remains a cornerstone of the current phase of our social and economic recovery, investment in external facilities and amenities have seldom been more important.
She concluded: “The announcement is part of that strategy, and part of a much broader move to support communities and organisations around the country to make outdoor areas an integral part of our routines.”
