Calls for greater sporting infrastructure in Co Kildare
Fine Gael TD for Kildare North, Joe Neville has called for greater sports infrastructure in the county
A Fine Gael TD for Kildare North has called for greater sporting infrastructure in the county.
Deputy Joe Neville was addressing Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil this week, when 'Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation' came before the House.
Deputy Neville said: “The issue I want raise is the need for sporting infrastructure. Last week, I met with GAA members who were working on the No One Shouted Stop Until Now report, which focuses on Ireland's demographic shift in the past few decades and the response to it.
“Key findings in the report included that just 50 clubs out of the 2,200 clubs in the island of Ireland account for 25% of all zero to five-year-olds. That is startling. Just six counties are home to more than half of all zero to five-year-olds on the island of Ireland; my county of Kildare is one.”
Deputy Neville pointed out that the majority of GAA clubs remain rural, with 78% in areas where populations are shrinking.
Like himself, he said, the Taoiseach is a keen follower of the GAA, but the problem also impacted on other sports such as rugby and football, which he said face similar statistical and demographic shifts.
He added: “My ask today is that we work through planning and infrastructure to secure zoning, development levies and funding for multi-sport facilities such as Kerdiffstown in north Kildare, in order to address demographic shifts and allow for more sporting facilities.”
Responding to Deputy Neville, the Taoiseach said he would be “a very enthusiastic supporter of what the Deputy has articulated, in respect of more facilities.”
The Taoiseach stated that local authorities have a “key role” in the zoning and the designation of lands.
He said: We were fortunate in Cork city over the years that successive city councils and city CEOs saw the value of land for playing pitches.
“I have always contrasted that with the Dublin experience, which I find, frankly, poor in terms of the length of lease it gives clubs and the capacity of clubs to develop their facilities, and State agencies likewise.
“I will not go too far but the bottom line is we were fortunate in the sense that, outside of Dublin, many clubs had 100-year leases or own the land. I would be in favour of making sure that more councils look after clubs of all codes and community facilities.”