Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, and Minister of State, Brendan Griffin, today announced an increase of 17% in the funding available to support transport, tourism and sport in 2019.
Minister Ross stated –
I’m delighted with this year’s €2.3 billion allocation and the investment we’re putting into multiple transport choices, be that improved public transport or better and safer cycling and walking infrastructure. The money being invested in these areas will allow more people make the switch and provide increased and improved sustainable transport options.
Funding provided under this Budget will also see the completion of a number of important national road improvements such as the M7 Naas Bypass, the N25 New Ross Bypass and the M11 Gorey Enniscorthy Bypass.
In 2019, we will begin to deliver on key aspects of the National Sports Policy, with a 13% increase in funding. After a fantastic year for Irish sport, these extra funds will help to deliver key infrastructure and increase support to our talented athletes and National Governing Bodies.
Tourism remains the largest indigenous industry in our economy and the 26% increase in funding for next year will ensure that we are able to continue to promote and expand our tourism offering around the world.
The increase in funding means a total of €2.3 billion will be invested in transport, tourism and sport in 2019, with 34% of that being provided toward sustainable mobility measures and approximately 22% toward national roads, while tourism and sport will see 26% and 13% increases in their respective funding allocations.
Following the launch of the new National Sports Policy in July, a significantly increased allocation of €123 million has been made available to support our sporting heroes from the grassroots to the high-performance, which represents a 13% increase on last year.
In tourism, funding will increase to €169 million. This additional Exchequer funding for the sector is essential to achieve sustainable growth into the future, in line with policy targets. To this end, the allocation to the sector has been increased by €35 million in 2019, up 26% on 2018, including an increase of almost 50% for tourism capital investment. Growing tourism regionally and across the seasons is a key policy. Capital investment will also provide the range and quality of experience that visitors are seeking. In terms of our overseas marketing, additional funding is provided to implement market reviews in key markets. Both agencies, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, will receive funding to address the challenge of Brexit.
Minister of State Griffin commented –
In tourism we’re focussing on delivering sustained growth into the future through measures to help grow rural and regional tourism and to lengthen the season. Priority areas include tourism marketing, capital investment and programmes to assist the sector to meet the challenges of Brexit.
This massive/significant increase in funding available for sport is proof of our ambition to increase sporting participation at all levels from grassroots to high performance and will enable us to start delivering on some of the key objectives of the recently published National Sports Policy 2018-2027. In particular, it will enable us to double the level of funding for its Women in Sport programme to €2million and to create a dedicated programme for disability sport through the deployment of a Sport Inclusion Disability Officer in all 26 Local Sports Partnerships countrywide. A new round of the Sports Capital Programme is currently open for applications and the 2019 funding covers all existing commitments plus new allocations of €40m which will be announced next year. We will also be making our first allocations under the new Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund.
Notes for the Editors
The €2.3 billion in funding provided by Budget 2019 will support delivery of the National Strategic Outcomes outlined in the National Planning Framework and is aligned with the Strategic Investment Priorities of the National Development Plan.
Some highlights of the €2.3 billion allocation include –
National Strategic Outcome: Sustainable Mobility
- €788 million for sustainable mobility measures;
- Key Projects in 2019 include –
- BusConnects: PSO bus fleet renewal and expansion
- Improved PSO bus and rail services
- Improved rail maintenance
- Luas: extended trams
National Strategic Outcome: Enhanced Regional Accessibility
- €515 million for national roads;
- Key Projects in 2019 include –
- M7 Widening completion
- N25 New Ross ByPass completion
- M11 Gorey/Enniscorthy completion
- An additional €89 million for regional and local roads;
- Key Projects in 2019 include –
- Sligo Western Distributor Road
- Sallins Bypass
National Strategic Outcome: Enhanced Amenity and Heritage – Tourism
- €35 million increase in total allocation for 2019; increase of 26%;
- €13 million for Greenways development;
- €49.5 million to improve international marketing;
National Strategic Outcome: Enhanced Amenity and Heritage – Sport
- €16 million to complete Phase 2 of the National Indoor Arena;
- €6.5 million additional funding allocated to Sport Ireland in 2019;
- €8.8 million for the new Large Scale Sports Infrastructure fund