Kilkenny councillor calls for extension to funding deadline for local sports clubs

The programme provides grants to assist in the development of sports facilities and equipment

Published 1st Apr 2026, 15:00 BST The programme provides grants to assist in the development of sports facilities and equipment Labour Cllr in Kilkenny City, Seán Ó hArgáin has called on the Minister for Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, to extend the deadline for the completion of registration on the Department of Sport’s online platform following specific reports of technical difficulties with the Online Sports Capital Register (OSCAR) application portal in recent days.

Cllr Ó hArgáin said a number of community and voluntary sports groups across Kilkenny have been unable to access or complete their registration on the platform due to problems logging into the system.

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“Community groups are already under pressure with limited resources and volunteer capacity. It is deeply concerning that many are now at risk of missing out on vital funding due to technical issues beyond their control as the deadline arrived last Friday,” he outlined.

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Cllr Ó hArgáin has formally written to Minister O’Donovan and the Minister of State for Sport, Charlie McConalogue TD, requesting both an extension to the closing date and immediate clarification on the operation of the OSCAR portal.

The Labour councillor is encouraging any local clubs or organisations experiencing similar issues to make contact so that these cases can be raised directly with the Department.

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