Sports centres in disadvantaged areas at risk of closure

State-funded sports facilities in Inchicore and Crumlin are at risk of closure, following a recommendation by Government agency Pobal against continuing their funding of more than €200,000 a year.

One of the facilities, at Bulfin Road in Inchicore, is home to Ireland’s largest roller derby league, which will lose its training facility if the sports hall closes.

The Inchicore and Crumlin centres were among a number of sports and community facilities developed using €34 million from the Dormant Accounts fund between 2006 and 2008, to provide sporting outlets in drugs task force areas in Dublin and Cork.

Three-year funding contracts were set up under the Department of Social Protection’s community services programme to run the centres, which were monitored and assessed by Pobal on behalf of the department.

Three- year contract

Minister of State for Social Protection

Kevin Humphreys

said Pobal was “unable to make a positive recommendation to the department that a three- year contract could be issued” to the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (ETB), which was running the two centres.

Department funding of €216,000 annually was being spent to run the centres in addition to €90,000 from the ETB, Mr Humphreys said.

Pobal had identified a number of reasons why it could not recommend continued funding, he added.

“Key among these were issues related to weak performance of the ETB over the previous contracting period and a lack of information on the commitment to the provision of the facilities for community use into the future.”

However, he said his department was committed to ensuring the future community use of the facilities and was working to find a solution.

Invited to talks

Dublin City Council

, which staffs the sports facilities on behalf of the ETB, said it had been asked to take part in talks on the future of the centres.

“Dublin City Council was informed in December 2014 that it would lose funding to the value of approx €250,000 from June 30th this year,” a spokesman said. “However, the council has now been invited to discuss the continued funding of the centres.”

Lauren Flynn, a member of the Dublin Roller Derby, based in the Inchicore hall since 2009 and which now has 90 skaters, said the loss of the facility would be devastating.

"The sport is relatively new in Ireland but it is growing in popularity. As the largest league, the loss of the facility would be very detrimental to the future of the sport."

The sport involves two teams of five skaters who compete at speed around a hall.