NGB Funding Key to an Active and Healthier Ireland

Sport Ireland has announced details of grant funding of €20.7 million to National Governing Bodies to support both day to day operations (€10.8 million) and high performance programmes (€7 million) of 56 different sports. A further €600,000 was announced to support women in sport programmes.

 

Investment is on a similar to 2017 with Sport Ireland funding still some way off the peak of €57 million achieved in 2007. These monies exclude the funding made available to the three field sports namely, the FAI, IRFU & GAA which amounted to over €7 million in 2017. 2018 investment is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. It was confirmed that €1.9 million in direct athlete investment is to be confirmed in coming weeks.

 

Commenting on the announcement of this year’s Sport Ireland NGB grant funding, Federation of Irish Sport CEO, Mary O’Connor said,

“Funding levels to NGBs are broadly in line with 2017. This is to be expected given as announced in the Budget Sport Ireland funding remained more or less flat on last year’s level. NGBs have a vital role to play in ensuring a more people have access to sporting opportunity. This is because each of our member organisations plays a key role in ensuring their sport happens in Ireland.

 

NGBs are responsible for development programmes, programmes targeted at encouraging hard to reach elements of society, coach education, training officials, child protection, high performance as well as administration of competition is vital to ensure an increase both in opportunities to participate in sport and allowing those who do partake to fulfil their potential whatever that may be.

 

We were heartened that in his leadership election manifesto the current Taoiseach and a former Minister for Sport outlined his intention to double the funding available to sport over the next seven years. We do hope that we will begin to see delivery on that commitment in this year’s budget as all of our members are committed to assisting in the delivery of the vision of a more active and healthier Ireland a reality. However, resources both financial and human are vital in ensuring this can and will happen.”