Canon Hayes Recreation Centre in Tipperary town 'deserves certainty on funding shortfall' - McGrath

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called on the Minister for Transport, Tourism and sport, Shane Ross, to address the increasing uncertainty that now exists around the future for the Canon Hayes Recreational Centre in County Tipperary.

Deputy McGrath was speaking after he secured a Dáil debate on the matter this afternoon: “The hard fact of the matter is that The Canon Hayes Recreation Centre is struggling to keep afloat amid an excessive and burdensome rise in costs.

“I have asked the Minister that he immediately engage with a deputation from the Centre in order to have their concerns addressed and have the matter resolved with at least some of certainty about the future.

“If interim funding is what is required then it needs to be made available.

“As I understand it the Centre now has to meet overheads such as insurance (excess €30,000 p.a.) and Light/Heat (excess €30,000)and the maintenance costs on a now 30 year old building. That is simply un-sustainable without a significant injection of funds.

“I also understand that the Centres recent proposal to upgrade the Gymnasium and Tennis Courts was refused funding despite the fact that the Centre is in a very disadvantaged area and scores -22.74 (very disadvantaged) in the Pobal index.

“All of this demonstrates a clear need for an urgent reassessment of the funding streams that are being denied or refused to the Centre.

“To lose it would be a tragedy for the entire community and would represent an appalling failure on the part of government and government agencies. That cannot be allowed to happen,” concluded Deputy McGrath.