Decision not to fund redevelopment of National Basketball Arena ‘extremely disappointing’

TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that it is extremely disappointing that government has chosen not to support the redevelopment of the National Basketball Arena through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund. Crowe said that this is especially disappointing given the speed at which basketball in Ireland is growing as a sport and the massive boost this would have given the local area.
 
Seán Crowe said “I was delighted when South Dublin County Council granted the planning for the redevelopment of the National Basketball Arena into a world class facility. I thought it would be a no brainer for the government to support this project in any way they could. “It was incredibly disappointing to hear them from the CEO of Basketball Ireland recently that they were unsuccessful in getting support from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, the fund specifically set up for these kinds of projects.
 
“Basketball is the fastest growing sport in Ireland. It provides health benefits, social interaction and outdoor courts can be set up reasonably cheaply. We should be encouraging this sport as much as possible and that includes by supporting the redevelopment of the National Arena into a facility that can be a beacon to attract more young people to the sport.
 
“Ireland is increasingly a more difficult country for young people to grow up in. That is why we would significantly increase the investment in sport, including an annual increase of €55m to the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund so that we can have the world class facilities that Irish athletes need so that we can drive on sports like basketball.”