The Government’s 2021 Budget had many boxes to tick as we seek to navigate the pandemic and economic recession but the headline figures suggest that sport has done very well.
Jack Chambers, the Junior Minister with responsibility for Sport tweeted that sport has gained an additional €36 million “to accelerate participation in sport and support our sporting bodies and associations through 2021.”
The money will include increased core grant funding as well as enhanced support for athletes and high performance as well as participation programmes.
€9.7 million has been assigned for the next stage of development at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus. First on the breaking of the ground is likely to be an indoor velodrome incorporating an indoor badminton centre.
Money for Clubs
There is also money set aside for a new round of Sports Capital Funding which the Minister says will be open to clubs ‘within weeks’.
The detail of the additional expenditure and how it will be allocated will be published over the coming days and Sport Ireland will then invite applications from across the sports sector for particular areas of expenditure.
A meeting of the Chairs of the 29 Local Sports Partnerships will take place online this morning where additional information may be forthcoming.
We still await detail in terms of some of the tax measures called for by Ireland Active in support of the leisure sector and of confirmation of the funding allocated through the Depar5tment of Agriculture for the sports of Horse racing and Greyhound Racing.
The Federation of Irish Sport has welcomed Budget 2021’s significant increase in funding for the sport and physical activity sector.
“The Federation is pleased to see the government’s strong recognition of the value of the sport sector and its need for continued support and development in line with the National Sports Policy,” it said in a statement.
“Today’s announcement not only meets the government’s own commitment to incrementally double funding for the sector by 2027 but is also recognition of the significant challenges facing the sector in light of COVID-19 and the cessation of activity during 2020.”
Milestone
“Budget 2021 was a significant milestone on the road to funding and resourcing the sector to achieve the targets set out in the National Sports Policy.”
“In what has been an extraordinarily challenging year for the sector, it is heartening to see the government in the third year of the National Sport Policy build on the previous two years of established funding and extend that support to include recognition of immediate challenges facing the sector. Federation member organisations are committed to the growth and development of sport and physical activity for all and the return on this investment will be evident for all to see.”
“Today has been a watershed moment for sport and physical activity,” said CEO Mary O’Connor.
“While government support through the pandemic has been appreciated by members it was also undeniably necessary. We have been calling for the continuation of existing funding commitments for the sector at a time when investment in sport and physical activity is ever more important.”
Strong Support
“Today’s announcement shows the government’s strong support of the sector as well as their commitment to deliver on targets set prior to the current crisis. This is a true show of support for the work our member organisations do and the positive impact they can have through the pandemic and beyond. We are pleased to see that the commitment to double funding in line with action 45 of the National Sports Policy has been met and superseded again for 2021.”
“We would like to thank the government for their continued engagement with the Federation and our members on the pertinent issues facing sport and their endorsement today of the important and valuable role sport and physical activity play in Irish society.”
“I thank the Government, Minister Catherine Martin and Minister Jack Chambers for today’s budget announcement,” added Peter Sherrard, CEO of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
“We understand that this additional contribution to Sport Ireland will provide much needed support for the sector and will allow continued planning for high-performance athletes ahead of next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games and the Paris 2024 cycle. This is welcome news for our athlete community who deserve our support and are working tirelessly to represent Ireland on the global stage.”
“We appreciate the announcement by Minister McGrath today and welcome this additional funding to Sport Ireland,” said Gary Owens, Interim CEO of the FAI. “Irish sport needs this support from Government now more than ever and this is a major boost for everyone in a sector which offers so much to Irish life.”
The detail of the additional expenditure and how it will be allocated will be published over the coming days and Sport Ireland will then invite applications from across the sports sector for particular areas of expenditure.
A meeting of the Chairs of the 29 Local Sports Partnerships will take place online this morning where additional information may be forthcoming.
We still await detail in terms of some of the tax measures called for by Ireland Active in support of the leisure sector and of confirmation of the funding allocated through the Depar5tment of Agriculture for the sports of Horse racing and Greyhound Racing
