All-weather pitch may be lost due to ‘complacency’

Fears heightened this week that a planned new Astroturf soccer pitch for Knocknacarra may be lost due to ‘political complacency’, and a lack of will to ‘match’ Government funding.

It was warned this week that some €250,000 of Government funding, which is earmarked for the new pitch at Cappagh Park, could be in jeopardy because Galway City Council isn’t matching the funding to complete the project.

Concerns were expressed that the €250,000 could be lost unless the ruling pact on the City Council moves to protect it, and votes to match it in next week’s budget.

Earlier this year three Council-supported projects received grant aid under the Government’s Sports Capital Grants allocation.

They included about €50,000 for St James’ GAA pitches in Mervue; some €43,000 for a sand-based pitch for Corrib Rangers soccer club in Westside; and €250,000 for a floodlit Astroturf soccer pitch at Cappagh Park in Knocknacarra.

At Monday’s Council meeting, management at City Hall indicated that funding for the St James’ and Corrib Park pitches would be available in 2015.

But officials ‘stayed schtum’ about the prospect of Cappagh Park’s new pitch proceeding next year.

Despite repeated questioning from Fianna Fáil City Councillor Peter Keane, the executive would not say if the matching funding of €125,000 would be available to start the Cappagh Park pitch in 2015, a project that will cost €315,000.

“The silence from officials and the top table was deafening – Director of Services Tom Connell looked at Stephen Walsh (senior executive parks superintendent), Stephen Walsh looked at the roof, the mayor (Cllr Donal Lyons) said nothing and neither officials answered the question,” said Cllr Keane.

“I now have very real concerns that this project is not going to start next year as planned because the City Council is not making provision for it in this year’s Budget. What will happen next March is officials will turn around and say ‘you didn’t make provision in the budget for it, we can’t do it’.

There is a danger that this project could be delayed because of complacency in the ruling pack of Councillors that includes Fine Gael, Labour and Independents. The pact either doesn’t understand that the project is in jeopardy or it doesn’t care about the people of Knocknacarra and it is complacent.

“The Government doesn’t just throw around €250,000 for the sake of it – it gave this money because the project was shovel ready, and it was an urgent project but my fear now is that this funding could be in jeopardy because the pact’s complacency,” added Cllr Keane.

He said it made sense to proceed with the Cappagh Park from an economic perspective as well as a social and sporting one because it will be a revenue generating facility.

Meanwhile, Mr Walsh confirmed that the pitches at Westside Sports Campus, which house St Michael’s GAA, are on schedule to open next September.