Sport Ireland funding of individual athletes comes under the framework of the International Carding Scheme, details of which for 2023 were published yesterday, alongside the broader High Performance Funding package covered here.
It provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes. The primary purpose of this funding is to support Irish athletes in reaching finals and achieving medals at European, World, Olympic and Paralympic levels.
In 2023, Sport Ireland will invest €3,486,500 under the International Carding Scheme. This will support 127 athletes and three relays/pool funding in 14 sports.
32 of the athletes to receive funding will be on the highest Podium level receiving €40,000. In 2022 that number was only 19, a 68% increase and a reflection of the exceptional year that Irish athletes put in last year in the shortened run to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Athletes that achieved the criteria in 2022 will, under normal circumstances be on the International Carding Scheme for 2023 and 2024. This will allow athletes to focus on training and performance as they seek qualification for the Paris Games.
There are a number of athletes who did not achieve the full criteria but are included on the International Carding Scheme for 2023 only, following requests from their respective NGBs. They will be included for 2024 as well, subject to their maintaining their level of improvement.
The athletes to get the highest level of €40,000 are Ciara Mageean and Mark English from Athletics; Ronan Grimes from Para Cycling; Rhys McClenaghan from Gymnastics; Kellie Harrington, Aoife O’Rourke, Caitlin Fyers, Aidan Walsh, Michaela Walsh, Amy Broadhurst, Lisa O’Rourke, Christina Desmond and Dylan Eagleson from Boxing; Finn Lynch from Sailing; Jason Smyth from Para Athletics; Ellen Keane, Nicole Turner and Roisin Ní Ríain from Para Swimming; Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Fiona Murtagh, Eimear Lambe, Afric Keogh, Emily Hegarty, Tara Hanlon, Natalie Long, Sanita Puspure, Zoe Hyde, Margaret Creman and Aoife Casey from Rowing.
Another 32 have been awarded World Class funding which has risen from €18,000 to €25,000. They include Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, Israel Olatunde and Kate O’Connor from Athletics; Liam Jegou from Canoeing Ireland; Lara Gillespie and Richael Timothy from Cycling and Para-Cycling; Adam Steele and Eamon Montgomery from Gymnastics; Mona MacSharry and Daniel Wiffen from Swimming and Carolyn Hayes from Triathlon.
The third level of International funding has also risen from €12,000 to 18,000 and is being made available to 63 athletes in total.
As part of Sport Ireland’s commitment to support athletes’ transition to post athletic careers, 13 athletes were approved on the Athlete Career Transition (ACT) programme in 2022 in addition to the 19 athletes approved in 2021. This provides financial and non-financial supports to carded athletes on retirement, and in the case of some supports can extend over a period of four years.
The programme is administered through the Sport Ireland Institute of Sport and is considered to be best in class on a global scale.
Of the 127 athletes, 66 (52%) are male and 61 (48%) are female. 22 Para athletes, representing 17% of overall athletes, are also supported.
