Ministers O’Donovan and McConalogue announce details of Budget 2027 for the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
€1 million for Gaelic Games Development with a focus on Hurling and Camogie, and additional €1m to the FAI for League of Ireland Academies
The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and the Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue TD, today (7 October) announced details of €1,298,000,000 in funding allocated to the Department in Budget 2027.
The allocation supports Minister O’Donovan’s priorities for the Department, including the Basic Income for the Arts successor scheme, record Arts Council funding, investment in sporting facilities and high-performance athletes, and sustainable funding for public service media. It also builds on the successful delivery of the National Broadband Plan network, with the deployment phase on course to close out by the end of 2026.
Funding allocated in Budget 2027 will enable the continuation of key supports in the Arts and Media sectors, while allowing for the delivery of ambitious projects across Communications, Sports and in our National Cultural Institutions.
Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: “As Minister, I have made it a priority to secure the investment our culture, communications, media and sport sectors need to grow and thrive. This €1.298 billion allocation backs that ambition with practical support for artists, clubs, communities and the public services people rely on every day.
“The €450 million capital allocation for 2027 reflects the successful delivery of the National Broadband Plan, with the deployment phase on schedule and on budget for close-out by the end of 2026. Bringing high-speed broadband to rural homes, businesses and communities is one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in the history of the State. As Minister, I have prioritised bringing this work to completion and ensuring that its benefits reach communities across the country. The allocation will also support continued investment in local and regional sports facilities, our national cultural institutions, arts centres, the National Sports Campus and a new Public Warning System.
“I have secured €848 million in current funding for 2027. This provides for a full year of the permanent Basic Income for the Arts scheme, increased funding for the Arts Council and Sport Ireland, support for the Ryder Cup 2027 and UEFA EURO 2028, and continued investment in the media sector.
“Making the Basic Income for the Arts scheme permanent was a priority for me, and this Budget provides the full-year funding to deliver it in 2027. It gives 2,000 artists greater security to develop their work and build sustainable careers. I have also secured record Arts Council funding of over €143.5 million, alongside continued support for Screen Ireland, Culture Ireland and Creative Ireland.
“I am increasing funding for our National Cultural Institutions by €3.8 million. They welcome more than four million visitors each year and make our national collections accessible to people from every background, usually free of charge. Through the Arts Capital Investment Fund I recently announced, we will also improve arts and culture facilities across the country, while progressing the redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery, the National Concert Hall Discover Centre, and the National Library of Ireland.
“I will also continue to explore the development of the Culture Card for our young people, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, helping more young people experience arts and culture.
“I welcome the announcement by the Tánaiste of the increase in the ceiling for tax relief on heritage donations to National Cultural Institutions and other approved bodies under Section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 from €8m to €12m. My Department will also be working closely with the Department of Finance over the coming months to review the tax treatment of theatre production costs and supports for the wider-night time economy.
“Sustainable public service broadcasting is a central priority for me. This Budget maintains the levels of funding for public service media and the independent media sector in 2027. This will ensure that RTÉ and TG4 continue to provide Irish audiences with high-quality programming across all genres. It will also ensure the continuation of media funding schemes administered by Coimisiún na Meán to enhance the provision of public service content and public interest journalism by our independent media sector, as well as the implementation of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy. These schemes help communities access reliable information and reporting on the decisions that affect their lives.
“In communications, I am providing support for a new Public Warning System, called IE Alert, so emergency alerts can be sent directly to mobile phones in affected areas during major incidents. This will strengthen our ability to keep people informed during extreme weather and other major emergencies.
“Sport is central to my Department’s work. Together with Minister McConalogue, I am backing local facilities, supporting our athletes as they prepare for LA 2028 and getting Ireland ready to host the Ryder Cup next year in my home county of Limerick.
“I have secured an additional €1 million through Sport Ireland to grow Gaelic Games, particularly hurling and camogie in non-traditional and urban areas. I want more young people to pick up a hurley, join a team and play in their own communities.
“We are also increasing support for inter-county players, recognising their commitment to competing at the highest level.
“This Budget delivers on my priorities across the Department and invests in opportunities that people and communities will benefit from for years to come.”
Minister Charlie McConalogue said: “As a Government, we are deeply committed to growing participation in sport at all levels, from the playing pitch or running track to the boardroom. Additional funding for Sport Ireland will support the development of Gaelic Games, in particular to develop hurling and camogie in non-traditional and urban areas. We will also commit an additional €1 million for the inter-county player support scheme to support elite athletes in Gaelic Games.
“Crucially, this Budget provides for the last full year of this Olympic cycle, and we will support our high-performance athletes as the countdown to the LA Games in Summer 2028 enters its final phase. With Budget 2027, we are on track to break €100 million in funding for high-performance athletes in an Olympic cycle for the first time, and recent results in European and World Championships have demonstrated the impact of this funding.
“Funding is also provided to deliver promised support for the hosting of the Ryder Cup 2027 and UEFA Euro 2028. These events will leave a lasting legacy for communities, drive economic growth, and impact positively on sports participation across the island of Ireland. We will build on this legacy-planning with an additional €1 million to support the development League of Ireland Academies.
“We will continue to develop our National Sports Campus, with funding allocated for the ongoing construction of the new National Velodrome and Badminton Centre and the new National Cricket Stadium.
“The IRFU will be allocated an additional €500,000 to support development programmes, and €1.77 million will be provided for other sporting National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships.
“This Government is committed to the success of Irish sport; from record investment in our sport facilities, to supporting the ambition of our high-performance athletes like never before and fundamentally, to ensuring everyone, at every level, enjoys the right to participate in sport and physical activity.
“Budget 2027 also continues support for our Post Office Network, who fulfil a vital role in rural and urban communities across the country.”
Key highlights of Budget 2027
Arts and Culture
The Department’s Arts and Culture programme aims to support and develop access to, engagement with, and participation in arts, culture and creativity by individuals and communities thereby enriching lives through cultural and creative activity; to promote Ireland's arts, culture, screen industry and creativity globally; and to drive a more vibrant and diverse Night-Time Economy.
•€34.4 million to cover a full year of the Basic Income for the Arts Scheme, to support 2000 artists
•Support for the ongoing major redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery
•Progress the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall with the Discover Centre project
•Funding to redevelop the West Wing of the National Library of Ireland
•Record funding for the Arts Council of over €143.5 million
Communications
The aim of the Department’s Communications programme is to deliver world class connectivity and communications, ensuring an agile, responsive and resilient digital infrastructure is in place and supporting the transformation of the digital economy for the benefit of every citizen, business, and community in Ireland.
•€153 million allocated to connecting premises to gigabit broadband services through the National Broadband Plan, following completion of the main network build on schedule in 2026
•Supporting the development and operation of critical digital and data infrastructure, such as the Emergency Call Answering Service and eircodes
•Continued funding to the Post Office Network
•Supporting the development of IE Alert, a new Public Warning System
•Continued financial support for the Digital Hub Development Agency to enable its dissolution and the continued support of community and digital enterprise through Dublin City Council post-dissolution
Sport
The Department’s Sports and Recreation programme aims to promote greater sports participation by all, with particular focus on female participation and diversity, while continuing to invest in new sports facilities, high-performance athletes and the hosting of major events.
•Total current funding for Sport Ireland of €121.87 million, including:
oAn additional €1m to support the development of Gaelic Games, in particular hurling and camogie in non-traditional and urban areas
oAn additional €1m for the inter-county player support scheme
oAn additional €1m to support the development of League of Ireland Academies
oAn additional €1.768m in core funding for national governing bodies of sport and local sports partnerships
oAn additional €500k for the IRFU to support development programmes
•Additional €1.6m in support for high-performance athletes ahead of the LA 2028 Olympic Games
•€22 million to deliver on the Government’s commitments towards hosting of Ryder Cup 2027 and UEFA Euro 2028
•Support for the ongoing development of the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre and the National Cricket Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus, following the commencement of construction of both projects in 2026
Media and Broadcasting
The Department aims to promote a sustainable and diverse Media and Broadcasting sector, and to progress online safety through an effective regulatory system and continued support for Coimisiún na Meán.
•The level of funding for public service media will be maintained in 2027:
oPublic funding of €240 million will be provided to RTÉ
oTG4 will receive public funding of €65.4 million
•Building on the significant increase in funding for the independent media sector over the last number of years, total support for broadcast and media funding schemes will be €34.4 million for 2027
•Support for the continuing implementation of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy will be €1.1 million