Grants Announced – Donnybrook & Rathmines
I was delighted to see that St. Mary’s Tennis Club in Donnybrook has been awarded €165, 000 from the Sports Capital grants scheme today. The Club is very active in Donnybrook and provides a range of sporting and social opportunities to a cross section of the community including the local schools. Earlier this year I organized a meeting between the club and the four local TDs, including my Labour Party colleague Ruairi Quinn TD, to create a cross-party lobby to secure the grant. I was of course grateful for the subsequent support we received from all of them and believe that the grant will be well used to upgrade the facilities in the Club and by extension for the community. It is this method of working together across the political divide that has traditionally benefited Dublin South East and has again worked on this occasion.
I would also like to welcome the grant of €1, 000,000 towards the Rathmines Gymnasium and Sports Facility as part of the Rathmines Rejuvenation Plan. While more funding is still required this is a step in the right direction. Great credit is due to the Rathmines Partnership and my colleague Mary Freehill in particular for pushing this along and I look forward to working with them all in progressing this very worthwhile project in the years to come.
