Urgency needed inproviding sporting facilities in Laytown

No child should be sent to the ditch to urinate during a football pitch and no girl should be prevented from playing because it is the time of the month and there are no toilets - that is the message from Cllr Sharon Tolan (pictured right) regarding playing facilities in east Meath.

At last week's meeting of Meath County Council, Cllr Tolan asked what was happening regarding the proposed sporting facilities at Seafield, Laytown. "Money was allocated for the upgrading of Seafield in 2024, but there hasn't been a sod turned there since," she said.

"East Meath is growing and expanding all the time. The kids need a place to play football and a running track and to have changing facilities. I am disappointed that nothing has been done. When that money was granted, there was a 'use it or lose it' clause so that local authorities had to have the money spent within two to three years. We haven't spent it.

"I'm not prepared to sit by and watch while we lose this funding. It is absolutely crucial that some sort of improvement takes place at Seafield. There are hundreds of children using that facility," she said.

Director of Services, Martin Murray, said they had applied for funding of €13.5 million and received €2.3million. There had to be a reconfiguration of the project and that was underway. "We are dealing with other state bodies. We have identified specific potential lands to achieve the objectives of the plan and break the original plan into constitute parts that we can deliver, but there is no danger of losing the money and we are in constant contact with the Department. It calls into question how much money we have to put into that ourselves to achieve the primary objective of what we applied for, because unfortunately we are not going to receive any more money from the Department. We have to cut our cloth to measure but we will give a more comprehensive report at the next meeting."

Following the meeting, Cllr Tolan pointed out that three clubs use the facilities at Seafield - Laytown Utd, St Colmcille's and Cill Athletic Club. "We only got a fraction of what we originally applied for in funding. It has been very frustrating for the clubs to have to put their plans on hold. They are on limbo at the moment. They are afraid to do anything in case the proposals change."

She said the original plan was to provide a running track, a 3G pitch with floodlights, grass pitches and toilet/changing facilities. At the moment there are grass pitches and the athletic club use the outer areas.

"Training can be very disjointed in winter. There is a huge cost in renting out all weather facilities.

"It is very frustrating. We had a significant plan and it is disappointing that nothing has happened.

"Seafield has been used for sport for many, many years and a lot of young people and adults use it today. Laytown Utd alone has 400 members.

"I'm looking forward to an update at the next council meeting," she said.