The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross, T.D., and the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin, T.D., today announced the allocation of €1.75million in additional funding for high performance sport. The Board of Sport Ireland has agreed that the funding should be allocated to National Governing Bodies and other sporting bodies to assist athletes’ preparations for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, as follows:
Additional Funding |
Organisation | Allocation |
Hockey Ireland | €500,000 |
Horse Sport Ireland | €175,000 |
Olympic Council of Ireland | €175,000 |
Paralympics Ireland | €100,000 |
Gymnastics Ireland | €75,000 |
Swim Ireland | €75,000 |
Athletics Ireland | €50,000 |
Irish Athletic Boxing Association | €50,000 |
Confederation of Golf in Ireland | €40,000 |
Cricket Ireland | €40,000 |
Cycling Ireland | €40,000 |
Irish Sailing Association | €40,000 |
Rowing Ireland | €40,000 |
Triathlon Ireland | €30,000 |
Badminton Ireland | €25,000 |
Irish Judo Association | €25,000 |
Irish Taekwondo Association | €20,000 |
The Ministers also indicated their intention to make an additional allocation of €250,000 in capital funding for high performance equipment. This funding is allocated from savings in the Sports Capital Programme. Recognising the specific need of our international rowers and sailors, this funding will be allocated to Rowing Ireland and the Irish Sailing Association’s high performance programmes. The Irish Sailing Association will be allocated €160,000 and Rowing Ireland will be allocated €90,000. The Ministers have directed that the process for allocation of this funding be expedited.
The Ministers reiterated that this special funding allocation is separate to the 2019 funding priorities highlighted at the recent launch of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027, including €1.5million in further support for our athletes’ preparations for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Ministers emphasised that they will seek in the 2019 Estimates a significant increase in funding for Sport Ireland programmes, with a view to achieving the ambitious targets set out in the National Sports Policy.
Announcing the funding, Minister Ross said:
We have seen some truly extraordinary achievements over the past few weeks, with medal success for our Women’s Hockey Team, as well as Irish rowers, sprinters, para-cyclists and gymnasts. Recognising the success of our sportsmen and women, who do so much to inspire Irish children and young people, I am delighted to announce this additional funding for high performance programmes across a range of sports.
As I indicated previously, a significant proportion – some €500,000 – of this funding is being allocated to Hockey Ireland and I have no doubt that they will continue to build upon their remarkable successes of recent years. I would also like to highlight the consistently excellent performances of the O’Donovan brothers and I am pleased to be able to announce an additional allocation of capital funding to provide our rowers and sailors with the boats and equipment they need to compete at the highest level. I am committed to ensuring that Team Ireland will have every possible support on the road to Tokyo 2020 and I am confident that we will be able to provide further increased support in 2019 and 2020.
Minister Griffin said:
I am pleased that we have been able to provide this additional funding support, which will be very beneficial for our athletes in their preparations for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. I would like to recognise the contribution of Sport Ireland, and in particular the dedicated staff at the Sport Ireland Institute, to support our international athletes who have performed so well in recent weeks. It is great to see that so many of our successful athletes are training at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus and I would like to recognise the contribution of the staff who help to maintain and provide the facilities there.
When we launched the National Sports Policy we made it clear that our vision is to double funding for sport, and to treble the funding allocated to high performance sport. Today’s announcement is a clear statement of intent in that regard.
Notes for Editors
Earlier this year, Sport Ireland presented to Ministers Ross and Griffin a submission seeking additional investment in order to offset the high costs associated with qualifying and preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. The submission highlighted the importance of funding in 2018 and 2019, to support our athletes’ training and qualification pathway, which in many cases is already well underway.
The €1.5m additional sum being made available to Sport Ireland for the Tokyo Olympic Games and World Championship preparations is part of additional funds secured recently. Earlier this year Minister Shane Ross reached agreement with the Board of the Irish Aviation Authority for the payment of an extra €12m dividend to the State. Last week the Minister agreed with the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe T.D., that €6m of the funds will be at the discretion of his department. The Minister has allocated €1.5m to Sport Ireland for the above purposes and this money will be spent by the beneficiaries in 2018.
The €250,000 in additional capital funding will be provided from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s Sports Capital Programme. This additional funding allocation is from savings in the current and previous rounds of the Sports Capital Programme. In line with the Programme for Government commitment to run the Sports Capital Programme on an annual basis, the Ministers intend to open a new round of the Sports Capital Programme in the near future.